Team Ozpin Series Two: Day
by DarthFissure95
Summary: Set six months after the demise of Faunus rebel Jasper, first-year student Signal from Beacon Academy is obsessed with finding her daughter and preventing herself from becoming a monster like the late Jasper, but when Professor Ozpin's former mentor Gray takes over the school, Signal is pushed closer to the edge than she ever has been, and Ozpin can't help her this time.
1. The Academy

**AN: At long last, here is the first chapter for Team Ozpin Volume 2. I am still working on the last three chapters, but this chapter is all set and ready to go! This chapter and future chapters were edited by a fellow reader named Elfin Maid. Please check out her stuff too because she's a very good writer and storyteller. Enjoy!**

*Professor Ozpin sat across from Blake Belladonna, a fellow student attending Beacon Academy. The only light in the room was the white lamp light directly above the table, giving the room the feel of an interrogation chamber. On top of that, with the kinds of questions Ozpin was asking Blake, it almost felt like an interrogation was going on. But he didn't want it that way. He knew what Blake was - a Faunus just like her mother.

"Why do you wear that bow, Blake? Why hide who you are?" Ozpin asked her.

"You may be willing to accept the Faunus, Professor Ozpin, but your species is not," Blake replied, her tone resentful.

"True, but we continue to take strides to lessen the divide," Oz assured her.

"With all due respect, you need to start taking some larger strides. Until then, I'd rather avoid unnecessary attention. I want people to see me for _who_ I am, not _what_ I am."

Which reminded Ozpin of several people he knew. People who deserved better than what they got.

"And what are you?" Ozpin asked.

Blake's expression changed. She appeared genuinely nervous, as if she was hiding something. Oz knew she was hiding something.

"I—I don't understand what you're asking," she said.

"How did you know the White Fang would be at the shipyard tonight?" he asked. In Team Ruby's report, members of the White Fang, led by Roman Torchwick, were unloading supplies at the shipyard right outside the city of Vale.

"I didn't. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time," Blake replied.

Ozpin knew that was a lie, but he kept that observation to himself. He didn't want to risk agitating Blake. He wanted her to feel like she could trust him without feeling pressured.

"You wouldn't have been the first," he said with a smile, "but what happened tonight was not an isolated incident. I may be your Headmaster, but I am also a Huntsman, and it is my sworn duty to protect this world from the forces that conspire against it. Blake, are you sure there is nothing else you would like to tell me?"

Blake looked Ozpin directly in the eyes. "I'm sure."

Oz felt his heart wilt a bit. Something told him that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Blake tonight. He could feel Blake locking herself up and allowing a wall to build up between the two of them. He respected that, even though he wanted to know more.

"Very well. Thank you for your time, Ms. Belladonna." He picked up his cane and mug, moving towards the door. He stopped for a minute, his thought turning towards Blake's mother again. He couldn't let Blake spiral downward like her mother did once. He had the opportunity right then and there to be there for Blake when he couldn't be there for her mother.

"And if you ever want to talk to me, please don't hesitate to ask," he said. Blake's expression didn't change. Her expression was completely defensive and defiant . Inwardly, Ozpin sighed and left the room.**

Sixteen Years Ago...

*Ozpin felt the bag get yanked off his head, and he had to blink several times to adjust to the dark. He was on his knees in the middle of an empty room that was part of an abandoned Faunus house in Minstrel. Towering over Ozpin was a Faunus wearing a black cloak and a hood that shadowed his eyes.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is," he said with a wide grin. It showed off his darkly stained teeth.

Ozpin smirked. "People tend to get a kick out of seeing me."

"Shut up, you fool. You're wanted by us for what you did," the Faunus snarled. Ozpin sighed and bowed his head.

"That was six months ago."

"It doesn't make the pain hurt any less. He revived hope in us."

"He was dangerous, and so are you. Can you let me go now? This discussion is intoxicating."

With a growl, the Faunus reached down and struck Ozpin across the face. Spittle flew from between Oz's lips as his tiny glasses fell from his face.

"Jasper was an effective leader. You know nothing of leadership," the Faunus growled.

"But you know nothing of this." The voice was familiar and seemed to be coming from all directions. Before the Faunus could react, his body was lifted off the floor by an invisible force and tossed to the side. His head collided with the wall as he crumpled to the floor, jaw dangling open as if he had tried to scream but couldn't.

"Duck!" Glynda shouted. Ozpin ducked with his hands over his head, watching several purple blasts of energy pass over him. Several Faunus cried out as the blasts engulfed them.

"Did you wait at all?" Ozpin asked as empty air threw him his double-bladed sword. Glynda materialized in front of him, a small cloaking device tucked comfortably over her ear. Her smile was vague.

"I needed to wait until he slapped you first," she said.

"Why? Why would you want him to slap me first?" Ozpin asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I can't always be the one getting hurt first." She passed him, planting a brief kiss on the spot where he was hit. "Now come on, we have to get out of here. We have what we need."

"For once, I wish you weren't a woman," he sighed.**

*Signal, known by most as the Lioness, stood on one side of the arena while her opposing fighter stood on the other side, facing her. The fighter had a black eye-patch over her other eye and her skin was paper-white. She held a two-sided spear, scarlet electricity crackling on both ends.

The student that Signal was facing was only known as the Translator. She was an old friend of Signal's and the second member of her team. She was both pleasantly surprised and shocked that the Translator chose to attend Beacon Academy.

But there was time to think about that later. The past brought painful memories, and Signal wasn't willing to allow those memories to pester her right now. The audience was cheering, and the third member of her team, Olive, stood by in the front row watching. The only thing missing in the tournament was Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch.

Come on guys, where are you?

Twirling her daggers, Signal concentrated. Two clones of herself ran after the Translator, one tossing its dagger like a boomerang. The Translator batted the dagger aside and launched herself at the clone, bringing its staff down and electrocuting it until the clone's body dropped and stopped moving.

When the other clone lashed out at the Translator with both its broken daggers, attempting to slice through the skin of her neck, the Translator used both hands to swing her spear and strike one of the daggers. The blade of the dagger shattered, and shrapnel scattered. One piece slid into the clone's eye. With a pained cry, the clone vanished.

Signal frowned. Her clones were weak. They couldn't hold their own in a fight for very long, but they were a good diversion, allowing her to get closer to her enemy.

The Translator turned to face Signal and raised her spear up so that one of the ends was pointing straight at Signal. With a half-hearted smirk, she pressed a button at the center of the spear. The end pointed at Signal shot forward.

Signal's eyes widened. Desperately, she leaped out of the way as the spear end flew past her. Reaching behind her back, she pulled off the machine rifle, firing several rounds as she raced alongside the wall. The Translator used her now one-sided spear to parry the bullets, then struck the spear down on the ground, unleashing a tidal wave of wind that tossed Signal back, slamming her against the wall.

Pain tore through her, re-opening old wounds and splitting open new ones. The world wavered and began to fade. A fierce ringing screeched in her ears, and abruptly her vision doubled.

Get back up. Come on now, get back up!

"Is that the best you've got?" Signal shouted. Her vision was clearing; the world was coming back into focus.

The Translator smirked again and returned her spear to her belt. Shock shot through her, intensifying as the Translator began her next move.

The Translator raised her hands.

Signal's vision darkened, the landscape around her once again falling into shadow. Screams echoed inside her head, coupled by blind weeping. She clapped her hands to her ears, clawing at her own flesh as the sound intensified.

It was all inside her. And it wasn't leaving until it was done.

The Translator's Semblance was the ability to absorb emotional pain from any part of the world and propel it all forward at the enemy to weaken him to the point where he couldn't move, almost like a way to paralyze someone.

"S—stop!" Signal screamed. The screams continued, echoing and building in force as blood ran down her fingertips. The Translator cringed, and Signal wondered if she could hear everything too.

"I forfeit! I forfeit!" Signal choked out, and mercifully, the screams and the cries died out. Slowly, peace, blessed peace, fell over her once more.

Too late, she realized that the Translator wasn't done. Flipping the spear in her hand so that the pointed end was facing Signal, she threw it in her direction.

The spear lifted her up, slamming her against the wall. She was pinned down, helpless. Small arcs of electricity bit into her, sending mild jolts through her limbs. The spear had not gone deep.

"And that's the match, ladies and gentlemen!" Professor Oobleck announced from his own private booth. His voice seemed to be very loud. Rushing out into the middle of the arena, he took a brief sip of coffee from his mug. "Wasn't that brilliant, ladies and gentlemen? My goodness, that was impressive, impressive!"

The crowd cheered in agreement.

"I think we can all guess who the winner is here."

Yes, Signal snarled to herself. Of course we can.

"The Translator wins this match!" Oobleck cried, raising his mug towards the Translator. He winked approvingly.

Signal could hear Oobleck talking and the crowd cheer in approval, but her attention was wavering. Wrenching the spear away from her body, she tossed it aside in disgust.

What is happening? she thought. I have been feeling good ever since I became a student. Why is the pain so great now? It has to be an aftereffect of the Translator's power, she decided. It should wear off soon.

She looked up at the crowd, slightly surprised to see Professor Ozpin and Glynda standing together in a seemingly random spot. They watched with neutral expressions, smiling as, one by one, their eyes met hers.

Ozpin and Glynda had been like parents to her. Ozpin had always been there to teach her how to defend herself and fight; and Glynda a constant for the 'girl' advice she often reached for. They were a perfect match for Signal.

But there was still that longing. The longing to go and find her daughter Blake again. The longing that she knew she should _not_ be feeling.

As she walked out of the arena, she could feel the Translator's eyes on her.

Signal shivered and shut the feeling out.**

*Ozpin and Glynda walked together, lingering behind the rest of the crowd as they filed out of the arena.

"I feel bad that we missed most of the fight," Glynda admitted, a hint of guilt in her voice.

"Yes, but what we were retrieving was vital."

"You were chasing ghosts."

"Ghosts that may still hold some importance," he argued, beginning to walk ahead of her to indicate he was done talking.

"Professor Ozpin."

Ozpin stopped and turned to face her. She was using the professional way of calling him, which meant she was serious about something and he needed to listen.

"Your mother was a great woman. Believe me, I got to know her for a little bit. But what happened, happened. There's nothing more you can do about it," Glynda said softly.

Ozpin sighed, reaching into his pocket where the item they had taken lay. He felt along the cool, smooth metal and nodded. "This is why I can't be without you," he admitted. Glynda's expression softened. Approaching Ozpin, she reached up to stroke his cheek, then placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You're a good man Ozpin. You've always been there for me. The only thing I ask in return is that you listen to me. Okay?" she asked.

Ozpin looked into her gorgeous green eyes, soft and warm. They somewhat resembled her sister's.

She's gone now, get over that.

"Okay," Ozpin replied. The two locked lips, parting after a long moment.

"And as for Signal, keep an eye on her. We need to make her feel welcome. This is a test for us. It will help us understand if we are really capable of accepting people from all walks of life into our school," Glynda said.

"I will," Ozpin promised. They kissed again before parting ways.**

*The broken moon was shining bright, and some of the light leaked in through the window of a private room Glynda took advantage of inside Beacon.

She was staring down at a map of Remnant laid out on the table. Several spots had been circled in red, but they were not marked by Glynda. They had been circled by her mother.

Memories of her mother's death flitted through her mind, and she shut her eyes in an attempt to block the memories out. She knew that her mother was looking for something before she died. What it was exactly, she didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

Stacked next to the map were notes. All had been written by her mother. Many of the notes were just questions left without answers. Glynda had no idea how far into the investigation her mother had gotten before she died, but did know it hadn't been very far. Her mother had very rarely left the house, and she had always been there when Glynda needed her.

That's why I'm doing this, mother. Because you were always there for me.

Whatever the item was, it had a history. And if something had a history, there was one person who would know about it. Glynda knew that in order to find the item, she would need the help of Professor Oobleck.**

 _*Raking pain, clawing through skin, grating against bone, forcing tears through clenched eyes_ . . .

 _The girl's head was slammed viciously against the harsh stone. She screamed, the noise ripping through the air._

"No," she whispered.

Gasping, Signal shot upright. Her chest was heaving painfully, and hot tears raced down her cheeks.

Oh no, she thought.

With a start, she realized that she had sleep-walked from her room in Beacon's dormitory to the statue outside Beacon. The statue depicted a huntsman and a huntress standing on a pillar of rock with a Beowolf underneath it, its hand out to strike. Light drops of rain fell, pattering down onto her head, streaking and beading on her skin and eventually wandering away.

She looked up. The Translator stared down at her, and she started in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

The Translator gestured to her. "I could ask you the same thing." Reaching out her hand, she quirked a brow. Grudgingly, Signal accepted it, letting the Translator help her back to her feet.

"What did you do to me?" she asked.

 _Scalding pain. Hot and then cold, melting her, gnawing at her bones, clawing through skin_ . . .**

*Ozpin sat in in his office, located in a tower that loomed over the rest of the academy. There were turning cranks above him that assisted in running the power in the academy. He stared down at the thing that he and Glynda had retrieved. It was a remote, with a single button on it.

His best guess was that it was an activator. He and Glynda had revisited the ruins of Collus Torchwick's facility where his mother had been working, and found several Faunus searching through the ruins. The Faunus had managed to take the remote, and Oz and Glynda followed them to an old abandoned house that happened to be Jasper's birth home.

Ozpin bit his lip, deep in thought. It was just a single button, and it was driving him crazy.

What is it? he wondered.

Eventually, he gave up, hesitated, then pressed the button. Something clicked, and a blue light appeared. Throwing the remote down, Ozpin rolled his chair back so that he was at a considerable distance from it.

He held his breath, his eyes fixed on the remote.

Nothing happened.

With a great sigh, he rolled back towards the desk. Picking up the remote, he shook his head.

"What happened in that facility, mom?" he asked, knowing full well that she couldn't hear him.

His mother was dead.

Eyes flickered brightly. A tangle of wires and stained metal moved, lifting its arms up so that it could stare at its hands.**

*"No," the mess of metal groaned. The mass of metal and wires sat up and shook its chipped head. "No, this cannot be right," it said. It reached for the tuner in the side of its head to adjust its mind. Images flew through its head and dozens of voices sounded.

"No," it said again. Finally, one image stopped and stayed. A rather attractive woman with bright, brown eyes and a heart-wrenching smile. She was wearing a white lab coat and held a notebook.

"I'm sorry I have to do this. I really am," she said, her voice catching slightly.

"Do what my lady? What is the matter?" he metal's voice said in the memory. The woman's smile slipped and she reached out to touch the metal's chest.

"Goodbye, Fester," she said quietly.

The memory froze, static exploding across the image. The mass of metal sat silently, its eyes blinking.

"Hello there," a new voice said. Fester looked up to see a tall man, scars amassed over his face, forcing one eye shut. "Come with me. I'll fix you," the man said.

"Where's Master?" Fester asked.

"Master is dead. I'm your new master," the man replied. Before Fester could react, the man reached behind his back and shut him down.**


	2. Can't Stop

**AN: Here you guys go! The next new episode of RWBY is tomorrow morning at 10 AM for Sponsors on Rooster Teeth, so I'm really excited!**

Six Years Ago…

*The body of an Ursa fell headless to the ground, lifeless. Qrow stood, perfectly still, scythe in hand. Cocking his head at the corpse of the creature, he watched as it began to dissolve before his eyes, slowly turning red and fading away.

"Qrow!" The voice was familiar, and his face brightened slightly in recognition. Turning, he faced the Faunus Signal.

"You got him," Signal shouted, her fist punching the air. Qrow's face remained impassive.

"More will come. It was quite a racket." Brushing past her, he continued on. Signal watched him, her face pinched into a frown. Her nose twitched slightly. "Come," Qrow continued. "Let's get out of this area. It's not safe." Holding his hand out, he waited for her to accept it. Signal's heart jumped to her throat as she grasped it, allowing Qrow to use his inhuman speed to take Signal miles across the Emerald Forest.

As they raced together, another young Huntress joined them.

"What happened this time?"the Huntress demanded. Her long hair flowed behind her in ashen waves.

"Not now, Summer," Qrow snapped, annoyed. "I'm focused on running right now."

"Spill," Summer persisted, her voice teasing.

"I killed an Ursa near a tribe of Beowolves," he relented.

"Oh, Qrow . . . "

"Not my fault," Qrow growled. "It put its body in my way."

"It's a legitimate excuse, I'll give you that," someone said from his other side. Glancing slightly behind him, Qrow saw a short young man with yellow tinted hair striving to keep pace with him. His name was Taiyang, and his legs were stretching to their fullest length in an effort to run as fast as Qrow.

"Nothing you wouldn't have said," Qrow pointed out.

"Come on guys, wait up!" The shout came from behind them, and Qrow grinned in recognition. The four of them stopped to watch Ozpin, who was trying to keep pace with them and failing miserably.

"My brother may not be as swift as I am," Qrow said, a hint of a sneer in his voice as he motioned towards Taiyang, "but he's much faster than you."

"I noticed," Ozpin mumbled as he finally began to catch up.

"Look out!" Summer shouted. Signal watched her throw off her white robe, clearing the way to her belt. A dagger jumped into her hand, and she thrust it at the Beowolf leaping towards them. The dagger-point sunk deep into the Beowolf's throat, slicing easily through the fur and into skin. The Beowolf wobbled, its breath coming in raspy, wet gaps, then slapped to the ground. Blood bubbled from its mouth as its breath failed.

"Well, Summer," Qrow said, "you have always insisted your favorite season is summer. It has come."

"I still love it." Summer knelt, wrenching the dagger out of the wolf's throat. As the creature began to fade and dissolve, she tore a clump of fur from its coat. "The season gives me more of these creatures to kill," she explained.

"Summer . . . "

She held up a hand. "Don't. I know what I'm doing." Tucking the fur into the breast-pocket of her shirt, she fell silent.

"I like the idea," Signal offered.

Summer chuckled, but avoided Signal's gaze. "Well, it's good to know that someone appreciates what I'm doing."

"You are not a fashion designer by any means, Summer," Qrow said bitingly.

Summer brushed several strands of fine white hair away from her eyes. "Sheesh. I hope this isn't how you talk to Raven."

Qrow's expression shifted rapidly and completely. Any amusement he might have shown disappeared, replaced by cold anger. "Leave Raven out of this," he said icily.

Signal watched in silence, her heart telling her that Qrow was fighting to keep himself calm, to avoid lashing out at any of his teammates. The awkward silence grew until she finally blurted something out. "Okay, well, have you done enough killing for one day?"

Qrow's shoulders relaxed, his expression fading into something remarkably like relief. "Yes, I believe that is enough for today," he said. "Let us all go home."

"Hear, hear!" Ozpin cheered. "I think I'll skip a proper dinner for a plate of cookies."

Signal watched in silence as the others shook hands and part ways, leaving her standing alone. Her chest ached.

"Hey," Ozpin said from behind her. She jumped. "You can spend the evening at my home if you like."

Gratitude flooded her, but she pushed it aside. "What would your father think about having a Faunus in his house?"

"He's out tonight, and won't be coming back until tomorrow. My mother will be more than happy to have you over," Oz assured her.

She hesitated, then grinned. "Okay," she said.**

Present Day…

*Gray stood, hands clasped behind his back, watching Fester take everything in. The untouched wreckage of a facility that had blown up a long while ago was quite, black dust drifting around them. The sky was dark.

Fester stepped through the charred remains and stopped, looking out over the cliff. Below it was a long, sprawling river. "Master did this. Master shut me down and did this," he said quietly.

"Yes. She was willing to sacrifice you to further her agenda. It's unfortunate, really. But she was determined to make change that no one else approved of. No one else was even told about it. Her plans included having to sacrifice you."

Fester's brain made a loud whirring sound as he tried to process Gray's words.

"I know what you can do. It'll be fun," Gray assured him, sensing his indecisiveness.

"What is it?" Fester asked.

"I know where her son is."

"I—I think I recall. Ozpin?"

"That's right. And I know exactly how you can get to him, who his friends are, including the one he loves. I know everything that you can use to help me destroy him."

Fester raised his head, his confidence seemingly restored. He strode past Gray, words flying from him. "I was programmed to believe in humanity. But now I see how they treat my kind - they're selfish and are for nothing but what they want. I will see to it that they get everything that they deserve."

Gray put a hand on Fester's shoulder. He knew full well that Fester wouldn't feel it, but didn't care. "Then do it," he said.

Fester didn't need to answer. He knew what he wanted to do.

"There's an underground facility I know of where you can build your own soldiers. I also know a small group of Faunus left over from a Faunus rebel's army that will be willing to help me if it means killing Ozpin. We have the power we need. Together," Gray said.**

*The dress was constricting her. Or perhaps it was the tears burning in her chest. It was a purple one-piece, worn only once before to honor her friend.

I'm sorry, Auburn, Signal thought. She had lost count of how many times she had said that, to herself or to someone else. For so long, Auburn had been the only one who treated her like a friend.

"Hey," someone said quietly. She turned to see Ozpin approaching her, holding his cane.

"You're too young for that look," she said.

Ozpin chuckled. "Glynda loves it."

"I didn't say the look wasn't good."

"Fair enough. Aren't you going to dance?"

"Oh gee, I didn't realize that's what we did at school dances," Signal said, piling on the sarcasm. Ozpin raised his eyebrows, slightly phased by her attitude.

"Sorry. I'm—I'll—" Signal stuttered mindlessly for several seconds.

"I have an idea," Oz interrupted. "Why don't you go dance with Olive?" Signal looked over at one of her other teammates. Olive was a young human man the same age as her. He was sitting next to the Translator, watching her hands as she communicated with him through sign language. Olive was hard of hearing, a trait that Signal found slightly irritating because she had to say everything to him through the Translator.

And thus was why the Translator had her nickname. Only Signal and Ozpin knew her real name, but like Signal, she had buried it deep.

Deciding to give it a try, she reluctantly began to approach him. Ozpin nodded and winked.

Olive smiled and waved, his eyes warm and welcoming. His hands began to fly, forming words in sign-language. The Translator watched intently.

"He says hello," she said. "And . . ."

Olive's hands continued to move in a series of seemingly complex and disorienting gestures.

The Translator chuckled, her voice cracking half-way through. "And that you looking beautiful tonight."

Signal smiled. "Thank you, Olive."

The Translator began to sign back to him, clarifying what Signal had said. Olive nodded, pleased. Reaching for the scroll on his belt, he pulled up a page. Flashing the screen at Signal, he raised an eyebrow.

She scanned it. It was a news article, announcing a new X-Ray and Vay movie coming out.

Olive began to sign again.

"He's asking what—what you think of that," the Translator said.

Signal shrugged, an embarrassed smile flitting on her lips. "I don't know. Pretty cool I guess."

Olive grinned and nodded in agreement.

Signal's hand began to nervously rub her arm. "Listen, I was wondering if you'd like to dance with me."

Olive's eyes brightened, and he nodded.

"Great! Er, good. Take my hand." Holding out her hand, Signal waited until he had stood and grasped it.**

The dance was a simple waltz. Signal didn't consider herself to be someone that liked to dance, so she stuck with doing something simple. Instead of calming her, however, all it did was stir up thought of Blake.

Her daughter.

She was out there, somewhere, and Signal was obsessed with finding her.**

*"Oh, why couldn't you work up the courage to ask a guy if no one was asking you?" Oobleck insisted. His cousin Mayzie, two years his junior,trailed behind him as he moved around the dance floor, constantly - and annoyingly - grabbing hold of the back of his shirt.

"That's not exactly how it works!" Mayzie insisted.

"Well, I've done my research into the history of people asking other people to the dance, and the law allowing women to ask men was passed twenty years ago," Oobleck snapped.

"Stop being a history professor for one minute and help me," Mayzie growled, stomping her foot.

Oobleck whirled around to face her. "How about you ask me?"

Mayzie's eyes widened, her face instantaneously going scarlet. "You're my cousin."

"Yes, but boys dance with their moms at their weddings. I don't think this is as preposterous as that."

Mayzie wrung her hands. "You really mean it?"

"Go on. Ask."

"Um, would you like to accompany me to the dance?"

"Come on," Oobleck said in relief, holding his hand out for Mayzie to take. Mayzie stared down at his hand like she was afraid it would lash out and bite her. She finally summoned the courage and took his hand. Oobleck felt her relax slightly as soon as she did so.

"Okay."

"Excellent! Shall we, then?"

Oobleck guided Mayzie through the room, shoving away any students that were dancing in his path.

"Hey! What's your deal?" several shouted.

"Professor and his cousin coming through," Oobleck called. Everyone stopped dancing and drinking punch, intrigued. Mayzie was widely considered the weirdest student in the school, brought further down the social status scale because of the fact that she had been accepted into Beacon two years early at Oobleck's pleas.

"We should at least role play if we're going to dance," Mayzie suggested. "You be X-Ray, I'll be Vav."

"Young lady, you are a female. Both of those amateurs are men."

"You're so mean!" Mayzie cried, but she was smiling. She adjusted her glasses as Oobleck put a hand on her shoulder, using his other to hold her hand. They started dancing, much faster than a simple waltz. Their feet worked in sync together as if they were one.

Their dance then turned into Oobleck twirling Mayzie in a circle, eventually letting go of her for them both to step back and take a bow.

"Just think of this as your I-owe-you to me," Oobleck said.

"Wow, you're so humble." Mayzie grasped Oobleck's hand again. Both of them laughed, and their dance got faster. It lasted a minute more before Oobleck took hold of Mayzie's body and dipped it with her facing up, then brought her back up, taking both of her hands to twirl her again and let her go. She took several steps back and took another bow, while Oobleck followed suit.

When Oobleck raised his head, he winked. "Ms. Mayzie, if I may say so, I think you look beautiful this evening."

"Thank you, Mr. Oobleck," Mayzie replied.

"Oobleck?" Glynda said from behind him.

"Ah yes, Ms. Glynda. How can I help you?" Oobleck asked.

"Since you're done dancing with your cousin, I need to talk to you."

"Of course." Oobleck turned back to Mayzie. "A pleasure dancing with you Ms. Mayzie."

Oobleck didn't hear her, but Mayzie whispered something back. "A pleasure dancing with you Mr. Oobleck."**

*After everyone had left the dance and gone back to their dorms, Ozpin and Glynda stood on a balcony overlooking Vale. The air was deathly still. Ozpin could hear water trickling from one of the fountains.

"Ozpin," Glynda finally said, breaking the silence.

Ozpin turned to look at her. "Hmm?"

"I'm leaving for a little while."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What? But why?"

"I've been studying some of my mother's maps and notes, and I believe that she was looking for something before she died. I want to find out what that was."

"What are you hoping to gain from it?"

"I don't know," Glynda admitted, looking down at her feet. "Maybe nothing. Maybe it'll all be for nothing, but I want to try anyway. Maybe it was extremely important for my mother to find it. She's gone now and so is my sister, and I'm the only one left that can know about this and do something about it."

Ozpin reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. Despite their relationship, Oz wasn't opposed to just making simple friendly gestures.

"You told me to let go of my own mother's past, and now you're pursuing yours?"

"This is different," she protested weakly. "Well, a little. You wanted to know if you could find anything your mother left behind. I want to know what my mother was trying to look for, because it's possible it might help me. And I'm taking Oobleck with me."

"Oobleck would be an excellent companion to take with you. The man knows his geography and history."

"Then I have your blessing?"

Ozpin put a hand on Glynda's cheek. "You don't need it."

His lips met hers in a gentle kiss, each feeding of the other's passion. Ozpin felt unworthy to have someone like Glynda, and yet Glynda was willing to give her whole self over to him. It was a gift he felt he would never be able to repay.

"Professor Ozpin, Professor Glynda!" someone shouted. The two leaped apart, turning to see Signal racing towards them. Her eyes were wide, and a grin lit her face.

"What is it, Signal?" Ozpin asked.

Signal halted in front of them, panting slightly. "I know where she is!" she gasped.

Oz and Glynda looked at each other. Dread threatened to blossom inside Ozpin. "She?"

"My daughter! Blake! I know where she is!" Signal screamed. Her expression frantic, and her hands shook violently.

He hesitated. "Where?"

"Light Of Hope in Minstrel. If we hurry, I can get her back!" Signal cried. Inwardly, Oz groaned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Glynda's face turn saddened.

Oz took a deep breath, and stepped forward. "Signal, please listen. Light Of Hope has been closed down for a decade."

Signal's frantic joy began to crash and burn. She frowned. "What? But—that can't be true. I saw her there!"

Glynda approached her. "Professor Ozpin is right, Signal. I'm so sorry. I think you were having a dream."

Signal's face crumbled into depressed lines, hot tears racing down her cheeks. She shut her eyes, head bowed. "I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "I'm such a dunce."

"No," Glynda said vehemently, putting an arm around Signal. "I've had dreams too. I used to have nightmares all the time and wake Oz up in the middle of the night so that we can come here. It helped me relax and it made me feel safe."

"I'm sure there is someone on your team that you can come to if you're having those times," Ozpin suggested.

Signal wiped her eyes, inhaling deeply. "Yeah. I guess. I'm really sorry again guys, I didn't mean—"

"Of course you didn't," Glynda assured her.

Ozpin and Glynda watched Signal walk away. She had become like a daughter to them.

"You better keep an eye on her while I'm gone," Glynda said quietly.

"I promise I will."

"And what about yourself?" she asked.

Ozpin was silent. His gaze dropped to the floor. "You know."

"You still think about her, don't you?"

Ozpin was able to easily picture her. He saw her in his dreams sometimes. Rich, long, dark hair. Turquoise eyes glowing with joy. The scar that traced a path down the bridge of her nose. He still remembered the warmth of her skin and the way her lips felt against his own.

"Ozpin . . ."

Her eyes loosing their warmth. Her skin cooling.

Dead.

Falling away from him, the life draining from her body.

 _Theodora_.

"I miss her too, Oz," Glynda whispered. "But you have to let her go. I see you zone out sometimes, and I know that you're thinking about her because you whisper her name. Don't you know how that makes me feel?"

Oz nodded, avoiding her gaze. "I know."

"I hope so." Glynda's gaze drifted out to the stars on the balcony. "I'm leaving first thing in the morning."

They kissed again, but all the passion had disappeared.**

*After Glynda and Oobleck boarded their ship and took off the next morning, Ozpin's scroll vibrated in his pocket. He sighed and pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID. There was no number, and the name said 'Unknown'. Frowning at it, Oz answered it and put the scroll to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Ozpin," the voice on the other end said. His tone was warm and familiar.

"Um, yes?"

"I'm coming for you, and I can't stop," the voice said.

"Who is this?"

"You've seen me before. I'm here to tie up loose ends."

It began to dawn on Ozpin who it might be. He sounded mechanical, almost not-human. A robot? Maybe so. And if it was a robot and it was what Oz thought it was . . .

"Fester," he whispered.

"That's right. I'm coming for you, Ozpin, and I can't stop."

"What do you mean you can't stop?" Oz asked, his voice rising.

"I suggest you be prepared."

Then silence, and there was only beeping on the line.

"Hello? Hello? Fester?"

Ozpin's hand trembled as he lowered the scroll from his ear. "Oh, no."

Oz dialed Glynda's number. I'm sorry, Glynda.

Static filled his ear. Something was jamming his attempt to call. He had to get someone's help. He needed to talk to Peter Port to help him find out what Fester was up to.

Signal was packing her school books when there was a knock on the dorm door.**

*"I'll get it," she said. The Translator and Olive stood back as Signal walked up to the door and opened it. Much to her surprise, Professor Ozpin was standing in the doorway. Standing next to him was Mayzie, Oobleck's cousin. She was two years younger than Signal with blood-red hair and wore large round glasses with only half of her shirt tucked in. Her appearance reminded Signal of Oobleck.

"Team Signal, how are you all this morning?" Ozpin asked, hands clasped behind his back.

"Doing fine Professor Ozpin. What can we do for you?" Signal asked.

"This is Mayzie," Oz said, gesturing to the girl next to him. "She is Professor Oobleck's cousin, and she is the fourth addition to your team."**

 **AN: The 'not my fault, it put its body in my way' line from Qrow is a reference to Caboose's line 'not my fault, someone put a wall in my way' in** ** _Red vs Blue_** **, Rooster Teeth's other show besides RWBY.**


	3. Beautiful Tears

**AN: Here's the next chapter! In case you guys are interested, there's a list of songs I took inspiration from and listened to while writing this volume at the bottom. Enjoy :)**

*Signal's shoulders sank. If she had indeed made a request for a fourth member to her team, the incident was long forgotten.

"Oh," she said weakly. It was all she could say.

"Now, I'm going to leave Mayzie here with you three." Ozpin paused for a second, gaze flicking from Signal to Mayzie and back again. "Your job is to set up a space for her here and make her feel welcome. Are there any questions?"

"Um. Well — "

"Good. Now, get along." His words were accompanied by a highly annoying wink, and before she could gather her thoughts he had walked away.

Mayzie rushed towards Signal, grasping her hand and shaking it vigorously. "It's such a wonderful delight to meet you!" she squeaked.

"Ah. Hi — Mayzie. I'm Signal, this is Olive, and the Translator."

"The third one doesn't have a real name?" Mayzie asked, head cocked to one side.

Sweat began to appear on Signal's forehead. "Um, no. She was always known by that name."

"Well, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you. I promise I won't make too much of a mess in here, but I have a lot of stuff."

Signal hesitated. "You have a room all to yourself?"

Mayzie did indeed have a room all to herself. Situated near Oobleck's quarters, nearly every available surface was plastered with large X-Ray and Vay posters. Signal, Olive, and the Translator stared at it, mouths hanging open, dumbfounded.

"I absolutely love X-Ray and Vav," Mayzie gushed, stating the obvious. "They're my favorite heroes."

Signal smiled politely, not wanting to shatter the younger girl's enthusiasm or mess with her passion. Signal had only ever read one comic issue of the two "heroes" once, and had been unimpressed.

Olive remained motionless, eyes wide.

"You look like you really like it," Mayzie said eagerly, noticing his shock.

"Oh, he's hard of hearing," Signal said.

Mayzie's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "That shouldn't be a problem for me at all! Oobleck taught me sign language."

Taken aback, Signal acknowledged that the fact was convenient. Maybe, she thought, just maybe, having her on the team won't be so bad. It will certainly be an improvement on Olive's position.

"Is it okay if I borrow Olive for a little bit?" Mayzie asked pleadingly. "Before I move into your room? I have so many questions to ask him!"

"Um, yeah. Of course," Signal said absently. She and the Translator left Mayzie and Olive to their imminent geek fest, bewildered by how quickly things could change. Their eyes met, something hinting that even more change was on the way.**

Six Years Ago…

*Ozpin and Signal found Oz's mother with a robot. Upon arriving at Ozpin's home, Ozpin was surprised to find his mother recording lab results into a robot's memory. It had a snow white metal body, but its eyes were an unsettling scarlet.

"Oh, well hello Ozy. I didn't expect you back home this early," Oz's mother called cheerfully. She shut the top of the robot's head closed and shut the android down.

"Mom, please don't call me Ozy."

"I'm sorry, Ozy, but I've been calling you that ever since you were born. Your father insisted that the 'pin' part of your name should be included." She winked at Signal.

"I like it. Maybe I'll start calling you that," Signal inserted, playing along.

Ozpin waved his hands. "Okay, don't you start in on this too!"

"Sorry. I already like your mom," Signal admitted cheerfully.

Ozpin's mother's expression shifted. "Make sure she's not here tomorrow when your father gets back home."

"Understood," Oz said reluctantly. Who's the robot?" he asked as they exited.

"This is Fester, my servant at work," she called after them.

Before they headed to Oz's room, Ozpin grabbed a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, placing them on his desk. Signal looked around his room, curious. The walls were bare, the floor spotless. Only the bed and dresser were apparent.

"It's kind of—ordinary in here," she commented weakly.

"You mean there's not a lot to see in here," Oz said flatly.

"Well . . . yeah."

Ozpin jerked open his desk drawer, revealing stacks of note paper, all written on from top to bottom.

"All research I do is done on my scroll, and . . . " Ozpin picked up a remote that sat on top of all the paper, and pressed the single button on it. Signal jumped aspart of the wall where the dresser was opened up, revealing a secret passageway leading downward. "Follow me," Oz said, picking up his scroll and turning it on to provide light. Signal stayed close behind Ozpin as he led her down the flight of stairs that took them underground. Once they were at the bottom, Ozpin flipped a simple light switch connected to wires leading to artificial lights in the ceiling.

Signal's eyes lit up as she took in the shelves of books lining the tunnel.

"I love books," she murmured in awe. It was true; she devoured them like a hungry Beowolf.

"I had too many books to fit up in my room, so I asked Qrow and Raven if they could make me a tunnel," Oz explained. "I created the lights and the passageway entrance myself."

She felt there was no point in asking how Qrow and Raven has been able to manage this. They were the two most powerful beings on Remnant, so a task like this has been was nothing they couldn't handle.

"Holy crap," Signal whispered, looking around at the shelves. They were tall, too, and all the books appeared to be sorted by color for some reason. One shelf was full of red books; another shelf was full of white books. As she got closer, she realized that they were all about the Schnee Dust Company. A third shelf was full of black books, all about the history of the Faunus race and their struggles to gain equality.

Curiously, a fourth shelf that contained yellow books was all chick lit. Relenting, Signal picked up a book and began to flip through it. By the time she had read a few short paragraphs, she had been sucked in.

"Despite all this, I don't read very many of them," Ozpin said with a grin. "If you'd like, you can take some home with you."

"Really? You mean it?" Signal gasped, tamping down the urge to squeal like a young girl.

"Of course you can. Take what you'd like," he urged.

As they went back up to Ozpin's room, Signal was balancing almost fifteen books, all fiction. She had always loved a good story.

After a half an hour of mostly eating cookies in silence, Signal reluctantly decided it was time to get back to her parents. "Thank you for having me here," she said. I wish I could stay longer. She didn't just like Ozpin. There was something about him that she loved. She just didn't know why. And yet—there was a depth in Ozpin's eyes that she had rarely seen in others, and it molded him into a mystery that she was hungry to solve.

She loved Ozpin, she realized. But she did not feel that she had the right to tell him that. She was a Faunus after all, and he was a human.

As she climbed through Oz's window - a habit she enjoyed after reading a particular book - something hit the window. A girl, covered in blood, slapped to the ground.

Signal screamed.**

Present Day…

*Ozpin stopped at the doorway of Peter Port's class, watching as the professor ranted on and on about his own heroic adventures. Oz had lectured Peter about this before, but somehow Peter believed that, if the students heard his own stories, it would inspire them to rise up through the ranks quicker.

"They would be bored to tears," Ozpin had said flatly to him after the first few days of the semester.

"They would be wowed to be honest," Peter said, offended.

The dismissal bell rang, much to the students' relief. "The rest of this amazing story will have to wait until next time," Peter called after them. "Be sure to read the assigned pages in your textbooks for tomorrow."

As the students passed, several shot Ozpin intrigued looks, obviously wondering why he was there. The only student that didn't even so much as glance at Oz was the Translator.

"Ah, Ozpin, how can I help you on this fine afternoon?" Peter asked heartily as Oz approached him.

"I need your help. Something from my—past is threatening me."

Peter sat down, folding his hands over his stomach. "Does this explain why any communications from here to anywhere else is being jammed?"

"Yes. The old robot servant that my mother used, named Fester. He's trying to get me, and he kept saying that he can't stop."

"I thought you told me that Fester was destroyed in the explosion?"

"So I thought too, but either he survived or someone put him back together."

"What are we going to do about it?" Peter asked, rubbing his hands together.

"I have to find out why he wants me in the first place. But I don't know where to start."

"He was your mother's servant, right?"

"Correct."

"No one, not even an AI - unless programmed to do so - would seek revenge without a reason. Was there anything that happened when your mother was still around? Anything that might have triggered something?" Peter asked.

Ozpin thought long and hard about it. To be honest, he didn't actually get to see his mother and Fester together very often, but he knew that she liked to be consistent with modifications to Fester's mind. When she first got him, he was only able to say a few things, and acted much more like a real computer for a while, then eventually became an AI that was able to emote and have an expanded vocabulary.

"It's possible that my mother might have made him too smart. She was always trying to improve him, make him smarter and stronger," Ozpin admitted reluctantly.

"But I don't believe that explains why he wants revenge on you."

"Correct. Whatever he wants with me, it's possible that it's because of something my mother did, and because she's gone, he's going after the next best thing," Oz said. His tone was slowly slipping towards fear.

Annoyed with himself, he steeled his mind. I'm better than that.

Someone spoke, his voice both familiar and despised. "I think you're onto something old friend."

Ozpin's nerves leaped skyward. Turning, Ozpin faced his old mentor Gray with gritted teeth.**

Six Years Ago…

*Struggling to lift the girl, Signal and Ozpin finally succeeded in moving her onto Oz's bed.

"What could have happened?" Signal asked quietly.

Abruptly, the girl ceased sobbing. It was as if Signal's voice had calmed her. Her single visible eye focused on Signal as she blinked away tears. After a moment, her gaze shifted towards Ozpin.

Instantaneously, she began to scream, throwing herself violently against them, desperately trying to break free.

"Whoa, hold on. You're fine, you're safe," Signal gasped, fighting to keep the girl still.

"A human!" the girl screamed, clawing at her hands.

"He's not going to hurt you! We're trying to help you," Signal cried pleadingly.

"Wait a minute," Oz growled. Reaching down, he removed the eyepatch.

Signal gasped. The previously concealed eye was feline, while the other was normal.

She was a Faunus.

"He's not going to hurt you," Signal said gently, softening her tone even more.

"I promise," Ozpin assured her. We want to help you."

Slowly, the girl began to relax, sagging downwards as the tension drained from her, leaving her body limp and weak. She wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Where are you hurt?" Oz asked.

The girl shifted slightly, revealing a deep, jagged cut spilling blood onto the sheets.

"Why hasn't she activated her Aura?" Signal asked Ozpin quietly.

Ozpin shook his head. "I don't think she knows how to activate it. She probably hasn't even unlocked it yet. Signal, stay with her. I'll go fetch the med kit."

Signal watched him go, then turned back to the girl. "What's your name?"

"Onyx," she said weakly.

"Can you tell me what happened Onyx?" Signal asked, forcing her tone even lower and smoother.

"They dumped us in the forest, then they—then they—" Onyx's voice broke, falling away.

"They what?"

Tears began slipping from Onyx's eyes once more. "They hunted for us to kill us."

"Humans?"

Onyx nodded. "They killed my parents. I barely got away with my life."

Silence fell once more.

When Ozpin returned, Onyx's eyes flicked back and forth, trying to get a good look at both Oz and Signal. Despite knowing that she could trust him, Onyx clearly still despised even the sight of him.

He was, after all, a human. And humans let down her kind all the time.

Signal, on the other hand, was a sight to behold. She was a beautiful girl, with a nose that resembled a lionesses' nose, her ebony hair rippling like ocean waves whenever her head turned or tilted. Seeing Signal gave Onyx hope again. Seeing Signal working alongside a human who seemed to treat her well gave her even greater hope.

Ozpin had reentered the room with a medical kit. Inside lay a needle, cotton, disinfectant, bandages, and cleaning tools. In Oz's other hand was a small container of sterilizing solution.

"Where's your mother?" Signal asked.

"She left for her late-night shift already," Ozpin explained as he began sorting materials and placing them on the bed.

He dipped the needle in the solution, allowing it to soak and sterilize. Scooping up disinfectant, he rubbed it along the jagged wound. Onyx screamed in pain, thrashing, her muscles automatically clenching against the pain.

"Hold her down!" Oz ordered, his words directed towards Signal.

Signal grabbed hold of Onyx and held her down as best she could, slipping one of her hands around Onyx's. "It's okay, just hang in here," she said.

As Ozpin continued to gently scrub, small bits of dead and dried skin were cleared away, fresh blood staining the cotton. He hesitated, then picked up the needle. "This is going to h-u-r-t," he whispered to Signal, looking slightly guilty.

And then the needle was punching through flesh, pulling it together snugly. Signal could have sworn she heard Beowolves outside howling along with Onyx as she screamed, her body arching off the sheets. She winced in sympathy.

"There. Done," Ozpin finally said, relieved. He stepped backwards as Onyx lurched upright, her face contorted in fury and pain. "I hate you!" she choked out.

"Yes," Ozpin said, resigned. "I get that a lot from your kind."

Finally, Signal was able to get Onyx calmed down. Grabbing Ozpin's arm, she jerked him into the hallway.

"You can't just let her go," she whispered furiously.

"Better out there than here. My father would not approve," Ozpin said weakly.

"What's so wrong with having a homeless orphan Faunus here?"

"My father wouldn't care about that. My grandfather, his father, was killed by Faunus rebels when he served in the war. It would do this child no good to let her stay here."

Signal wished with every particle of her being that things weren't like this. Humans held grudges towards the Faunus race for reasons that were honestly completely irrelevant compared to the grudges the Faunus held towards the humans.

"We have to do something," Signal pleaded.

Ozpin sighed and wiped his brow. "Remember the abandoned home on the east side of the forest?"

She remembered. She used to go to that house just to look at the old library, somehow still intact, with thousands of books. "Yes."

"Take her there and help her make herself at home there, until I can find something else suitable for her," Ozpin said under his breath.

It was better than just kicking Onyx out of Oz's house and leaving her to find her own way around. Signal nodded in agreement. "Alright. But not tonight. Can we at least let her stay here for the night and then get her out of here by sunrise tomorrow?"

"Only if you agree to help me take the bloody sheets off my bed," Ozpin said, a smile flitting around his lips.

Signal grinned. "Okay."**

Present Day…

*Glynda stood in front of the door that had once led into her home. This was where her family used to be. Her mother, her father, Theodora.

"Reflection is a beautiful thing my dear, but now is not the appropriate time," Oobleck said behind her.

"I know—I know. Sorry." With a deep sigh, she pushed the door open and stepped in. Nothing had changed since the day her parents were torn apart by Beowolves. Everything was still in its proper place. One thing that stuck out to her was a family photo of everybody together, looking happy. She slipped her Beacon Academy backpack off and set it down to open it and put the photo in it.

"My assumption is that we are here to find leads, young lady?" Oobleck asked, looking around the main living room.

"Yes. We have to go to my parents' room. My mother had her own desk where she worked."

"Got it!" Before Glynda had even time to blink, Oobleck disappeared upstairs to go her parents' room.

"Wait a minute!" Glynda cried, racing after him in an effort to catch up. She found him standing in the doorway, staring at something that, for some reason, scared him.

"Oh my," he said weakly.

Glynda walked up next to Oobleck, following his gaze.

Two Faunus were rummaging through her mother's desk.

"Stop!" Glynda shouted, rage filling her. The Faunus spun around, swords already drawn. The one with a bull's horns on his head and a tattoo of the White Fang's emblem on his shoulder grinned wickedly.

"We got here first," he said sweetly.

Then their swords flashed out, cutting through air as they raced towards Glynda and Oobleck.**

 **AN: Here's that list of songs:**

 **How To Save A Life by The Fray - This song resonates as the main theme of this volume to me.**

 **Somewhere In Between by Lifehouse - This is actually a song I listened to while writing the first volume too. It's actually the song I listen to while writing scenes of Ozpin and Glynda together. You're welcome.**

 **Saturn by Sleeping At Last - A bittersweet tribute to Signal.**

 **Wings by Jeff Williams, sung by Casey Lee Williams - This song is actually from the RWBY Volume 1 soundtrack, so it makes sense that I listen to this one.**

 **No Strings On Me - This is Ultron's version from** ** _Avengers: Age of Ultron_** **.**


	4. Gray's Move

**AN: Here's the next chapter! Also, here's an effort to answer some questions I've gotten in the reviews.**

 **First off, to answer the question about the timeline, the flashback happen six years before the current events of the volume, which is three years before Ozpin first met Glynda and her sister Theodora. The only flashfoward is the one at the very beginning when Ozpin talks to Blake. I just felt it was a perfect way to start the volume off considering the subject matter.**

 **Secondly, the idea behind the colored books was a nod to the colors of Ruby's team in RWBY, so when you think about it, the subject of each color has something to do with the team members of Ruby's team that has those colors. I left things vague about the red books on purpose for future storytelling purposes.**

*Of all people from Ozpin's past, the last one he wanted to see was his old mentor Gray. A tall, skinny man with a blood-red kimono robe; face partially hidden thanks to his hood, he was not a pleasant image. He grinned underneath the hood, showing off yellowed teeth.

"Good to see you too, old friend," he said.

"Stop calling me that," Ozpin snapped.

"Ozpin, who is this?" Peter asked from behind him.

"I am his old mentor and friend, Gray."

"He was never my friend. He never earned that status," Oz said through gritted teeth.

"Well, now I'm just hurt. I wanted to be able to do this peaceably and not let anyone get hurt, but," he paused for a dramatic effect, "it's obvious you don't want me here."

"Darn straight," Ozpin replied.

Gray sighed and threw his hood back. "Oh, well."

He reached behind his robe and pulled out a long chigiriki, its iron weight dangling from the chain, glistening under the class room's light.

"What do you want, Gray?" Ozpin asked, reaching for his own weapon.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out later, but I can't do my job if you stand in my way."

"How do you actually know I'll stand in your way? You haven't even told me what you want," Oz pointed out.

"Precisely, and that's the point. You won't let me do what I want to do."

Realization dawned on Ozpin. Everything that was happening was beginning to make sense. None of it could be coincidence.

"Fester is working for you. You two are in on the threat together," he said.

"What?" Peter asked aloud.

"You're smart, Ozpin. Smarter than I remember, and yet you still know so little." Gray's voice was acidic, mocking him with every syllable.

"Why is Fester helping you? Did you reprogram him?"

"Oh, I may have tinkered with him a bit, but the vengeance part is from him."

"Vengeance for what?"

"For what your mother did to him," Gray said pleasantly.

Ozpin had heard enough. He launched himself at his old mentor, double bladed sword spinning in the air. He landed and swung one end towards Gray.

Gray grinned and parried the swing with the chigiriki's staff. "Still as reckless as ever."

He pushed Oz's blade back, spinning his weapon in his hand. After a moment, he thrust it up, trying to slice through Oz's throat. Ozpin managed to leap back just in time as the iron sliced through air.

"You don't know how powerful I've become since the last time we spoke," Gray said sweetly. Ozpin recognized this as the old Gray. Mocking him, trying to tear him down to mess with his defenses and distract him.

"I'm coming," Peter cried out, his trumpet weapon in hand.

"Wait, Peter!" Ozpin yelled, reaching out his hand in an attempt make him stop. Gray laughed and swung his chigiriki again. Ozpin parried it and knocked it away as Gray rotated his whole body and swung his weapon again to strike his neck. Oz ducked, feeling the violent brush of wind as the chain passed over him, blowing his hair in opposite directions.

Something was leaving him. Ebbing away like the tide. With a start, he realized that he could feel his Aura slowly leaving him. But how?

"Do you feel it? All that power abandoning you? You think I was your mentor just because I know some good tricks with a chain?"

"What are you doing to me?" Ozpin demanded, jaw clenched. He heard Peter begin to groan as well.

"Your Aura is being cut off from your ability to use it. With it will go your Semblance," Gray said calmly.

Ozpin felt the strength in his hand leave him. The double-bladed sword clattered to the ground.

He breathed his Aura and felt his Semblance every day. The thought of being cut off from feeling those things was unbearable.

I can't let that happen. I won't.

He staggered upright and ducked, sliding forward on his knees as another swing from Gray's chigiriki barely missed him. He got his arms around Gray's waist, throwing himself forward with everything he had. They toppled.

His anger was flooding him, washing over his exhaustion and overwhelming all other emotions. His fist slammed repeatedly into Gray's face as he tried to knock his old mentor out. "Get out of my school! Leave us alone!" Ozpin snarled. One conscious thought filled his mind.

If only Glynda was here. She would've been able to keep him from going this far.

Gray reached upwards, grabbing Oz by the shoulders with his long arms, pulling Oz closer to him, bashing his head against his own.

Stars exploded across Ozpin's vision, dancing merrily in at least six different colors. He went limp, vaguely aware of Gray picking himself up off the ground.

Gray got back up, blood trickling from his mouth and nose. "You do pack quite a punch, I'll give you that," he commented. He spat in Oz's direction, picking his chigiriki back up. "Your school is now mine, and I have a special goal that one of your students can help me with."

"None of them will ever join you," Ozpin spat, though he wasn't entirely sure about that. He had no idea what Gray's goal was in the first place.

"You don't know that. Each of them will be tested."

Realizing all he could do was talk, Ozpin lifted himself into a sitting position. "I'm going to ask you again. Why is Fester seeking for vengeance?"

"You think the explosion at Collus' facility was an accident? You really think that your mother had nothing to do with it?" Gray asked.

Anger flared once more. "What are you talking about?"

"Your mother was responsible for all of it. She was the one that caused the explosion that released the infected Dust into the air. I know this, because I was there." Gray turned towards Ozpin, and then the world went dark.**

*Glynda pulled out her sword, Beacon, once wielded by her mother and then her sister Theodora. It was hers, now.

One of the Faunus rushed her, blade held high, and metal clashed deafeningly. Sound erupted in Glynda's ears and thundered in her head. Grunting, she slid her blade away and raised her hand, telekinetically grabbing the Faunus and throwing him up into the air. He hit his head and started falling, but Glynda leaped up after him and slashed his body several times with Beacon before grabbing him by the throat and thrusting him to the ground. The Faunus' body fell over backwards. Glynda landed with a fist in the ground and her other hand proudly gripping her sword in a straight arc that pointed away from her body.

Glynda watched Oobleck fight with the other Faunus, batting away the enemy's swings with his own weapon, a Thermos. The Faunus managed to use his sword-hand to bash Oobleck's forehead, knocking him backwards in a daze. Enraged, Oobleck threw his Thermos down and tackled the Faunus down, landing a few punches to the head. The Faunus released his sword and managed to pull himself up, grabbing Oobleck around the shoulders. He struggled up to his feet, taking Oobleck up with him and keeping him in a headlock.

Glynda frowned as Oobleck bit down on the Faunus' arm. The Faunus yelped as Oobleck dug his teeth deeper into his flesh.

"Let go!" he hollered.

"Look who's speaking!" Oobleck snarled, his voice muffled slightly.

The Faunus finally let go of Oobleck, clutching his arm.

"What the—?" The Faunus didn't get to finish. Glynda hurled him into the wall so hard it cracked. His body slumped to the ground.

"I have to agree with him, though, what was that?" Glynda asked Oobleck.

"I don't exactly fancy myself to be a fighter, rather an intellectual," Oobleck admitted, sniffing.

"That wasn't a very—intellectual—thing for you to do," Glynda said mildly.

"Well, what were you expecting me to do, young lady, let him beat me up?" Oobleck demanded.

"Let's just get back to our mission. It's obvious these Faunus were looking for the same things as we are, which means it's that important." Glynda began moving towards her mother's desk.

"It also emphasizes the fact that whatever they're looking for, we need to be the ones to find it first."

"You just finished my thought. Congratulations." She sat down at her mother's desk and started opening drawers. Much to her dismay and delight, there were stacks upon stacks of papers and maps. She was more interested in the maps. They needed leads in order to know where they had to go. "You know your history. Please tell me you know your geography too." Her words were directed towards Oobleck.

"Everything. Show me what you found?"

After a few minutes of searching, interrupted briefly in the middle as the Faunus started getting back up again - swiftly taken care of by knocking them both out again - they found a large map underneath all the stacks in the middle drawer. Glynda noticed the black marks on it, her hands begging to tremble. She could feel perspiration break out on her face, and the skin under her arms grew wet.

"I think I found the key," she said, unraveling the entire map and spreading it across the table. It was a map of the small island of Vytal. Circled in black ink was a small section of the island to the west, where a group of mountains stood. "What does this mean?"she whispered.

"Oh, my. The section that your mother circled is an unmarked village. A Faunus village," Oobleck said.

"Why is it unmarked?"

"After the great war, when the kingdoms came together to negotiate peace amongst each other on Vytal, a request was made on the side - to take the village of Agrabah off the map because of its destruction during the war. No effort has been made to rebuild it, and the entire population was killed by human executioners."

Glynda felt a cold chill encase her heart as she listened to the story. Sometimes she felt somewhat ashamed of being a human, being that her own kind had been so terrible to the Faunus race. It was no wonder that the Faunus were violent and possessed very little trust these days.

And yet, despite all this, Glynda knew that they had to go. Her mother wanted to find something there. The map was dusty from having not been disturbed in a long time, but Glynda noticed that the map had actually barely been touched, and still looked fairly recent. It was possible that her mother had used the map very shortly before she was torn apart.

"We should go, and take as much as we can," she finally announced.

Oobleck had somehow managed to fit a stack of at least a hundred note papers in his backpack, having put at least fifty in two different sections. Glynda sufficed taking just the map. There was no real reason to keep it, but she did so, just in case other Faunus came into the house. They needed to make sure there was nothing they would be able to find.

Glynda made sure to press the flat of her palm against the door of her old home. She shut her eyes, reliving the memories of her lost family once more. She had told Ozpin that he needed to let Theodora go, so that meant she herself had to practice what she preached.

"So, we're going to Agrabah?" Oobleck asked.

"That's right. We'll find what we're looking for there." She hesitated. "I think."**

Six Years Ago…

*"I didn't know that you love to read," Signal admitted as she watched Onyx flip through the pages of a thick book.

Onyx looked up and smiled, nodding in reply. "I love reading. It helps me to feel better."

"What's that one about?" Signal asked, gesturing to the cover.

"It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his own body."

Signal laughed. "That'd be weird. I think I'd like to stick with having just one soul."

"I don't know. The concept is interesting," Onyx said with a shrug. Signal noted the slight trembling throughout Onyx's shoulders. She didn't know if it was a nervous habit or if it was something else entirely.

"If you had two souls fighting over your own body, which one would you allow to possess you?" Signal asked.

"It depends on what they represent."

"Well, let's just say that one represents darkness and the other represents light. Wouldn't you go for the one that represents light?"

Onyx put the book down. She looked Signal right in the eyes. The connection sent a chill down her spine. There was something strange about the way Onyx looked at her. A sickly dark shade coated both her uncovered eye and the skin around the eyepatch covering the other, showing off the lack of sleep and the grief that had flooded her.

"I'd want to keep both souls," Onyx said coldly and calmly. "You can't know darkness without light, and you can't know light without darkness." She picked the book back up and continued reading.

Signal stared, goosebumps popping up all over her arms. Who is this girl?**

*In another part of the Emerald Forest, Ozpin and Qrow battled two Ursas that were not giving up quite so easily. Ozpin dodged one razor-sharp swing, then rolled out of the way of another from the second Ursa.

"Qrow, a little help?" he gasped.

"You're doing fine. You're doing exactly what you're supposed to," Qrow said calmly.

Ozpin pulled out his handgun, constructed when he was younger. He fired off several rounds into the first Ursa's throat, then used his thumb to pull back a trigger on the gun to shoot a small dagger straight into the Ursa's neck. It fell, shaking the ground hard enough to make Oz fall off his feet again.

The second Ursa began its assault on Ozpin, but something sliced through its neck and the head rolled off its shoulders and across the bloodstained ground. Qrow stood triumphant with his scythe on top of the headless Ursa's body.

"Thank you for distracting them," he said.

"I hate you," Ozpin rasped.

"I know." Qrow looked around, his senses sharp in case there were any more monsters nearby. The air was silent, with the exception of a Nevermore squawking, but it was far away.

"Now that there are no nearby threats, I think it'd be a good time to talk," Qrow said as he returned his scythe to his belt.

"What about?" Ozpin asked. He got up and dusted himself off, groaning at the sight of dirt staining his outfit.

"It's about your Faunus friend. Is it true that she made friends with another that you two found in the forest?"

"It's true. A Faunus named Onyx. She came across my home on the run from human hunters," Oz explained.

"And where is she now?"

"We keep her in an abandoned house not far from here. It's the safest place she can be for the time being."

Qrow sighed. "I understand what you're trying to do. But I don't know if it's the wisest choice."

"What about unity? Isn't that what we hoped would be achieved after the war?" Ozpin asked.

"It's not about unity in this case my friend. It's about reputation."

Ozpin almost grimaced. Qrow was more concerned about how he, a headmaster-wanna-be, would look if he was accepting of the Faunus race then he was about creating unity among everyone. If a task like this couldn't be done, then the peace negotiations on Vytal were for nothing.

"Listen," Qrow said, putting a hand on Oz's shoulder. "I was alright with having Signal tag along with us, but even she will have to be let go eventually. We can't risk being burned down if we want to revive the huntsman culture. We need this, Oz."

Ozpin thought about Signal. He trusted her completely, and she was a good kid. Telling her to leave them and never come back was too harsh considering where she was at. Her parents lived on the streets in the city of Vale, which was why Signal spent most of her time in the forest so that she could avoid discrimination and bullying from humans in the city. He couldn't bear the idea of her having to back there for good.

"As long as Onyx stays in that house, it shouldn't be a problem," Oz pointed out.

"But when our academies are established, what then? What would we do with her then?"

Ozpin didn't have an answer for that. He felt his heart grow cold as he realized that Qrow may have a point.

"One day, we can have Faunus in our schools, but not yet. Not until things calm down more," Qrow said, "so you have to make a choice."

Ozpin had a dark feeling that the choice he would have to make in the end would not be a pleasant one.

Behind a tree, Onyx listened, her eyes burning hot with grief and rage.**

Present Day…

*"I don't—feel very good," a student complained two tables down from Signal and her team in the cafeteria. Signal peered over her shoulder to see a male student clutch his stomach as if he was trying to catch something crawling on it.

"What's going on?" Mayzie asked from across Signal's table.

Someone vomited three seats down, spewing half digested food across the table. She recoiled in revulsion.

One by one, other students started coughing and trembling. Some began to vomit. Mayzie began to cough as well, which made Signal feel immediately sorry for her. Then Olive clutched his stomach, too, trying to hold in his food.

Then Signal started to feel could feel her own Semblance draining out of her. No, not draining away from her, it was being barred from her to be able to use. The ability to make clones of herself.

The Translator sat where she was, looking from one team member to another with a nervous expression, but not quite as nervous as Signal would think she would.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a voice crowed from the center of the room. Signal looked to see a tall skinny man standing on top of the table in the center of the room. In one hand, he held up Professor Ozpin, who dangled like a puppet on strings.

"Oh, no . . ." she whispered.

"Be happy and celebrate! This academy is no longer headed by this weak and misguided man. I, Gray, am your new Headmaster, and there are no rules except for one." He paused, grinning manically. "You can't leave."

One student leaped up and ran after Gray with his weapon out, a long trident that could turn into a gun if necessary. Gray smirked and reached out to telekinetically snag the boy's weapon and deliver it to his own hand, then with a simple wave of his hand, the student tripped over and fell on his face, slicing his nose open. Signal saw something glow in Gray's forehead.

"He has a chip, the same model that Jasper used," Signal said aloud.

"That's right," Gray replied, and shock filled her. "Now you will think twice before attempting to take me on. Fortunately for all of you, you will all get a chance at beating the crap out of me. I want to know if my former apprentice has been training you well. And if he's been training you really well, then you don't need your Semblance to prove yourself to me, and to be fair, I won't use my own Aura or the abilities this baby gives me," Gray said pointing to the spot in his head where he had the chip.

"What will you do with Professor Ozpin?" a student demanded.

"He won't die if that's what you're worried about. Oops, I kind of lied. He won't die yet. After all, there's a time and place for everything."

Some students got up and attempted to leave through the exit doors that would take them outside, but the doors flew open, revealing several Faunus armed with their own rifles.

"Like I said, you can't leave. This place will be guarded by my own servants until all of you are tested for what I have planned." He snarled impatiently. "Now sit back down!"

Signal felt along the blades at her belt, wishing she could use them against Gray, but he was clever. She couldn't lash out at him with other lives at risk.

"The first test will be tomorrow morning. Until then, feel free to do whatever you want. This place is yours, do as you please. Ozpin will be safe with me," Gray said cheerfully.

Signal made sure to glance at each of her teammates for their reactions. Mayzie and Olive both looked scared, especially Olive, who was trembling violently. The Translator was trying to interpret as many of Gray's words as possible to him, but it was probably still hard for him because Gray's presence alone was frightening and distracting. Mayzie pulled out a copy of an X-Ray and Vav comic from her backpack in an attempt to escape the urgency of the situation.

The Translator and Signal exchanged glances, nodding at each other to silently agree how deep of a predicament they were in.

And the more Signal watched Gray, the more terrifying it became.

 **AN: The name Agrabah is a nod to the fictional city of the same name in the popular 1992 film _Aladdin_. I'm sure you guys have at least heard of it. **

**So there's a new project of mine coming out tomorrow that I have never announced in advance, so if you're following my track record of stories, be sure to keep an eye out! Team Ozpin will continue as usual, with this new project on the side. I don't want to say what it is yet, but it is RWBY-related.**


	5. Moonlight

**AN: I am so sorry about the terrible format this chapter was published in earlier! Thankfully I've fixed it and reposted it so that you guys can read the chapter properly. I'm posting this tonight instead of tomorrow night like every Friday night because I will be very busy at that time. Anyway, I also have the first four chapters up of my very first fanfiction novel called _Ice and Mirrors_ , an RWBY fanfic about Weiss Schnee that takes place one year before the events of RWBY. Check that out too if you guys can and let me know what you think!**

*Ozpin woke in his office, a feverish headache thundering in his head. He could hear voices. He could hear his mother, Glynda, Qrow, Signal, Onyx, and Theodora.

Hearing Theodora hurt the worst. She was gone. He had to remind himself yet again that she was gone and she wasn't coming back. Why couldn't he let that go? It hurt his bond with Glynda.

"Oh good, you're awake. I was wondering when you would be," a voice said. It was Gray.

Ozpin lifted his head up, looking around his own office. His neck popped loudly. He realized he was chained to the wall, and Gray was leaning against his desk - watching him.

"Last time I had you chained, you had your Aura and Semblance, so you were able to break them. Without those things, what good are you exactly?" Gray said, his voice almost musing. It was also infuriating.

"I'm far better than you," Ozpin said, trying to summon as much confidence as he could.

"Obviously," Gray replied, his voice thick with sarcasm as he gestured to the chains.

"I mean in spirit. You're a bad man, who's only out for himself," Oz said. He managed to gather more real confidence, trying to gain the upper hand on his former mentor, who had left him when he was thirteen years old.

"Your father had hope that I would be able to train you into the man he wanted you to be." Gray turned, his back facing Ozpin. He pulled a cigar from his breast pocket and lit it.

"He was misguided," Ozpin insisted. "I forgave him for that."

"But can you ever erase what he actually did? Will the effects ever go away?"

Ozpin couldn't find the words to continue his psychological battle. He hated the man, but he didn't underestimate Gray. He was powerful, and that was why his father Haman had faith in him.

Then a new thought crossed his mind. "What did you mean by my mother being responsible for the explosion at Collus' factory?" Ozpin asked.

Gray turned to face him again with a mischievous smirk. Smoke curled from between his lips, floating away as he exhaled. "Your mother made it a point that she was going to rebel against Collus for his dealings in weapon manufacturing. Like you, she couldn't stand the idea of Collus mining Dust and crystals to take and use as fuel for his weapons, so when she created her servant android Fester, she made sure there was a bomb planted inside him that would go off at the simple press of a button. Ultimately, that was what Fester was created for. He was created to be a weapon in order to stop someone from creating weapons. How ironic," Gray said, with a dismissive wave as if all that meant nothing.

"How was Fester even able to survive that?" Ozpin asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"His armor was made of some of the strongest material with the help of not one, but several powerful kinds of Dust, giving Fester extra protection. When the bomb inside him went off, some of the armor remained intact and his heart still had a little bit of energy left in him."

"But how come he doesn't know that?"

"Well, if he knew that, he wouldn't be trying to kill you now, would he? And that's what I want. That's how I'm going to get results. I need all the backup I can get, including original disciples of the Faunus rebel Jasper."

"What do you plan to do with my students?" Oz demanded.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out — after it's too late." Gray grinned sadistically, then shrugged. "And to be honest, I hate to be the kind of guy that gabs on about my master plan, so I'm just going to leave it at that. If you're really that smart and you think it through, then you'll figure it out."

"My students will not cooperate with you," Ozpin said flatly.

"Their Semblances are beyond their reach. They have nothing they can threaten me with," Gray said mildly. Ozpin recognized that his former mentor was becoming more impatient by the second. Despite Oz being the one in chains, he felt like Gray was the one being interrogated.

Deep down, there was one thing he was certain of - and it was a terrible, sickening certainty. He wasn't going to be the one to save his students. He hoped that his students would be able to save him and each other.**

 _*"No," she croaked, but it was too late. The girl's head slammed against the wall with a sickening crunch, blood streaming down her neck. The girl screamed, her throat shredding like paper with the force of her cry_.

Signal's eyes snapped open, registering the ground that was quickly approaching. She stumbled, managing to get one arm in front of her body before she hit the ground. Panting, she looked up and realized she was lying right in front of the door of the dorm room. Everyone else still slept behind her.

Relieved that she hadn't sleep-walked out of the room, Signal sighed. Especially since the academy is taken over by a mad-man and his following of Faunus. How could my own people aid such human scum? The thought made her feel sick to her stomach.

But that honestly wasn't the worst of it. Ever since the man - Gray - had laid claim to the school, paranoia was spreading across the student body, and some students were taking matters into their own hands. On the way to her dorm room, Signal was ambushed by a male student named Cobal and dragged towards his room by the feet.

"Stop struggling," Cobal whined. He looked genuinely pained, his eyes pleading with her to just stop fighting and give in. Once Cobal got Signal into his room, he let go of her to close the door and lock it.

Signal scrambled to her feet and launched herself at Cobal with both of her daggers. Cobal managed to grab Signal by the wrists and twist them hard enough for her to drop her weapons. He was a large young man with the strength to break arms in one swift move. Though it was the last thing she would've wanted to do, Signal yanked Cobal closer towards her and banged her head against Cobal's. The move didn't hurt him as much as it hurt her, but it stunned him enough to loosen his grip on her wrists, allowing her to pull herself out, then deliver a spinning kick to his head, knocking him out cold.

Signal left Cobal's room, her head throbbing painfully, tears stinging her eyes. Her entire body was trembling hard.

The memory of the event brought even more tears to Signal's eyes. There had been reports of several other students getting sent to the hospital section of the academy because of some serious and even traumatic injuries. It hasn't even been a day, and the student body was crumbling apart quickly under the pressure of tyranny, with very little hope left given that their Headmaster was completely incapable of doing anything about it.

Signal didn't realize that she had been crying until the Translator placed a hand on her shoulder. The Translator had been awake the entire time, watching her, seeing what she would do.

Signal looked up at the Translator, watching as she moved her hands as if she was interpreting. She was. She was saying 'come with me' in sign language.

"We're not supposed to be out of our rooms this late," Signal whispered as they walked down the hallway.

"It's—it's okay, they won't mind," the Translator assured her.

"Are you sure?" Signal asked as they walked up to two Faunus guarding the exit that led out to the yard with the statue. The guards glanced down at them, studying them with eyes that resembled a bear's. They eventually nodded in approval, and in an oddly friendly way, gestured out the door.

"Yes," the Translator finally replied. They stepped outside and the cool night air shooed away the blazing heat coursing through Signal's body. "They're nice. They trust us because—"

"Because we're Faunus?" Signal asked.

The Translator used sign language to say 'because we're Faunus'. It was a unique but heart wrenching thing that Signal saw. This girl that her and Ozpin nursed back into health and tried giving a life to long ago was now broken and sad. Her voice was shattered, some words needing to be said through hand gestures to get the point across.

"Le-let's go sit by . . . "

"The statue," Signal finished for her.

They sat underneath the Beowolf that appeared ready to tear into someone's flesh, with the young Huntsman and the Huntress towering over it. For a while, they sat silently. They didn't have to say anything. The stars above spoke for them. The night sky was beautiful despite the circumstances. Countless amounts of stars without the intervention of pollution and smoke could be clearly seen. It was different from the time Signal spent in the Emerald Forest, where hardly any stars could be seen at all because of the smoke coming from Collus Torchwick's factories.

And in the center of Signal's vision was the moon. Part of it broken and its pieces scattered around. It looked like a beautiful sad painting.

"Have you ever wondered why the moon looks broken sometimes?" Signal asked absently, her head still tilted back.

"Mm-hm." The Translator nodded.

"The way the moon looks right now, that's how I feel right now. I think I'm broken, just like the moon."

Why was she opening up to the Translator like this? The thought hit her like an electric spark. It was partially the Translator's fault that she felt this way, anyway. After the fight between them in the tournament, the Translator's use of her Semblance had left a lasting impression on Signal that felt like cold slime inside her.

"Why do—do you feel like that?" The Translator asked softly.

"Part of it is because I don't have my daughter with me. I felt - feel- like I lost a piece of myself when she was taken away from me. Like there was this part of my heart that was ripped away, and it never healed."

"I—I lost my child too."

Signal looked at the Translator in surprise. "You had a child too?"

The Translator nodded. "I didn't even g-get to know if it's a boy or a—"

"Girl."

"Yes."

"We'll both find them. We can find them together."

"Then we'll feel wh-whole again. Won't we?" the Translator asked almost pleadingly, now looking at Signal too with a glimmer of hope in her one visible eye.

"We will. I promise." She regretted her words even before they had fully rolled off her tongue. She couldn't promise anything to the Translator. She did that once, and she had failed to keep that promise.

"I trust you," the Translator said quietly.

Signal didn't reply. She went back to staring up at the sky, but she could feel the Translator's gaze still on her, and it worried her. This was going further then she ever wanted to go with the Translator, but in a heartbeat, they were making plans together. Again.**

*Cobal's claymore went down hard on Gray's long daggers, the blades whole - unlike Signal's - and crossed in front of Gray's face to protect him from the deadly strike. Gray pushed Cobal's weapon away, returned the daggers to his sheaths, then got ahold of Cobal's claymore-wrist and twisted it hard. Cobal cried out in pain as his claymore fell and clattered on the ground, but Gray didn't let go of his wrist.

Signal watched and almost smiled. Seeing Cobal get his wrist gripped and twisted was incredibly satisfying, despite the fact that he was being defeated by a man she hated even more.

Gray kept his grip firm on Cobal's wrist, curling the other hand into a fist. He struck Cobal across the face several times, then took Cobal's shoulder and kneed him in the stomach.

Cobal went down hard on his knees. "Please! Don't kill me! I forfeit!" he cried, almost sobbing in his fear.

Gray spat in disgust, echoing Signal's emotions, then retrieved his chigiriki, took a step back, and swung the chigiriki down in front of Cobal's knees, taking advantage of its wind-gust force to blow Cobal backwards, as if the humiliating defeat that brought him to his knees wasn't enough.

Students parted to the side to avoid Cobal's body as it landed. Cobal tried instantly to get back up, but his arms betrayed him and he fell flat on his face once more. Gray raised his hands up and gestured that he was expecting applause. The students reluctantly clapped for him, but no one cheered.

"Cobal loses. That's the fourth student today that failed to best me," Gray announced. His gaze flicked over the student body as everyone watched on with an underlying fear.

"I look amongst you all, and I see a few students here that look the part to defeat me, but won't dare to step up," he said. As he spoke, his eyes settled on the Translator. "How about you? You look the part to me."

The Translator wrung her hands, taking a step backwards. "How—how do I look the part?" she blurted.

"Because you hate my kind. In fact, I'm surprised you're even standing here amongst all these humans," Gray said, his words holding a silent question.

Signal gasped, and other students started gasping too. It was the first time that most of the students in the academy learned that the Translator was a Faunus, hiding her one animal feature underneath her eyepatch.

A sly grin broke out on Gray's face as he observed his audience again. "Oh, wait a minute, are you all telling me you guys didn't know about that?" He laughed, and Signal wanted to run up to Gray and kick him until he couldn't move anymore. "I thought that the Faunus can come to this school without any shame about what they are," Gray chortled. "I thought that your former Headmaster Ozpin was accepting of people from all walks of life. Rich, poor, human . . ." Gray paused to look at the Translator again, then at Signal. " . . . Faunus."

Signal's own gaze flicked nervously between the Translator and Gray. She could see the Translator trying so hard to stay calm, but she also felt deep down that she was growing dangerously close to blowing a fuse. Gray made it clear with his widening grin that he knew he was striking a chord, and he had no plans of stopping just yet.

"You stand with the humans, even after the incident with Menagerie where we wanted to keep your kind contained . . ." Gray rattled on.

Signal felt her throat burst into flames. She watched helplessly as the Translator wrenched out her spear and launched herself at Gray.

"Yes! Yes!" Gray chanted as his daggers and the Translator's spear connected with each other. The Translator fought hard, spinning and swinging her spear so fast it was like a blur. Yet somehow, Gray managed to parry all of her moves with his daggers, but his eyes darted around to keep up with the Translator's swings like it was a careful game of chess where he needed to strategize.

Then one side of the Translator's spear caught Gray's forehead and bolts of electricity coursed through him.

Signal held her breath, and the rest of the student body did as well.

The effects only lasted for a second, and then Gray took advantage of the Translator's brief belief that she had bested him by striking her across the head several times with the butt end of one of his daggers, then flipped forward, crashing one foot down on her, swiping her off her feet.

Gray grabbed her by the back of her shirt, held her up, then leaped, taking her along with him. He tossed her up and slashed her several times with his daggers, not causing too much damage thanks to her body armor, but it was enough to make her cry out. Then he took hold of her around the neck and rolled back down, slamming her down on the ground upon landing. The ground broke when the Translator hit the surface, scattering debris everywhere.

Gray stepped back and twirled his daggers before returning them to the sheaths. "That was fun. Class dismissed."

"You're a monster," one of the students in the crowd said. The crowd tensed again as Signal ran towards the Translator to see if she was alright. Olive and Mayzie followed her.

"I know. It's part of my job description. We all have that description," Gray said, his amused expression melting into a sinister sneer. "Now, dismissed!"

The students did nothing to stop Gray as he walked away and left the training room, presumably to go back up to Ozpin's office in the tower until the next time he chose more opponents to face him.

What is the point of all this? Signal gasped to herself. Why is Gray challenging the students to fight him? What is he hoping to gain? "Are you alright?" Signal asked as she slung the Translator's arm over her shoulder to support her. The Translator didn't reply. Her gaze was positioned firmly downward as she refused to look up at anyone, even Signal. A single tear slithered down her cheek as cords pulsed and bulged in her neck. She was angry.

It was clear that everyone's thoughts were the same. They just wanted to retreat to their dorm rooms and never come out. It was lunch time, but no one was going down to the cafeteria for food, even though Gray allowed the cooks to continue their work as if nothing had changed.

As Signal reached for the doorknob to her team's dorm room, someone screamed. The sound made her jump.

Deciding to investigate, Signal carefully rested the Translator on her bed and ordered Oliver to watch over her. Signal and Mayzie followed the flow of students as they all converged at a particular room. Signal elbowed her way through to get a better look, then froze.

Sprawled out on the ground was a boy that was no longer breathing, and in his hand was a laser pistol. The sight shook her to the core, rattling even the parts of her she had locked away long ago.

"Suicide?" Cobal asked. His voice was shaking, which made Signal feel slightly better, but not enough to eliminate the cold lump she felt in her throat.

"I think so," another student whispered.

A first-year female student named Aika forced her way out of the crowd and fell to her knees beside the dead student. "Akio?" she whispered. She placed a trembling hand on his head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Her brother," one of the students whispered to another.

Signal had seen enough. She stumbled back to her dorm room and shut the door behind her as Mayzie came in after her. She leaned against the door and sank to the floor.

"What—what is it?" The Translator asked.

Signal hugged her knees against herself, feeling small. Just as small as she was when she was free in the Emerald Forest and the only thing she was concerned about was how Ozpin felt about her.

"I can't do this anymore. We have to do something," she finally said, her voice breaking slightly.

"Like what exactly?" Mayzie asked.

Signal curled her fingers and squeezed, digging into the skin of her legs until blood welled underneath her nails. "We're going to save Professor Ozpin and Port. We can't defeat Gray without them."

Silence fell, broken only by the sound of weeping as Aika mourned the only way she could.**


	6. White Rose

**AN: Here you guys go! I'm so excited for you guys to get to read Chapter 7 next week, it's one of my absolute favorite chapters.**

*At Professor Oobleck's insistence, Glynda and he landed their ship at the edge of the island of Vytal. The island was known to be crawling with hostile forces, particularly Faunus because of what had happened to their village of Agrabah during the great war.

Oobleck slipped on his backpack, wearing his safari hat and trench coat that he wore when traveling. As he stared at the sprawling forest ahead of them, he adjusted his glasses in anticipation. The evening sun dwindled behind him and Glynda, issuing forth the coming night.

"I think it will be wise to make camp here in this area for the night, then spend the day tomorrow going through the forest. According to my calculations, we should get to Agrabah by the evening tomorrow," Oobleck said.

"Alright. I'll get a fire going."

"Excellent," Oobleck cheered. He hesitated. "But first, you'll need firewood."

In a second - literally - Oobleck retrieved firewood from the forest, dumping it in front of Glynda. "I was able to scout out at least half of the forest to see to it we won't have any unpleasantries tomorrow while we travel.

"Oh. Okay," Glynda said, bewildered by everything Oobleck was able to do in such a short period of time.

"No need to thank me," Oobleck replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now if you'll excuse me, I will be scouting out the entire island to make sure there are no surprises."

Oobleck was gone longer this time, long enough for Glynda to succeed in getting a fire going. She allowed her open hands to hover close to the licking flames. The heat coursed through her whole body, sighed in relief. She felt overwhelmed by the journey. She knew where she was supposed to go, but she still didn't know exactly what she was looking for. What if her mother was wrong all along? Why would she pinpoint a location but not go there? Did she pinpoint it right before she died?

Too many questions and almost no answers.

Oobleck returned with a bucket full of water, pouring it onto the rapidly growing flames. The fire was extinguished almost instantly.

"What was that for? I got a good fire going," Glynda demanded, annoyed.

"My dear, a simple shove from the wind and we would've had a wildfire on our hands," Oobleck said kindly. He found the camp guide Glynda had sitting beside her, picked it up, and threw it hard towards the river. Glynda watched in confusion and horror as the guide was swallowed up by the water. Oobleck pulled out another camp guide from his backpack. "Your first mistake, my dear, was that you were not using the edited and revised edition of the camp guide. Major mistakes were made in the original."

Within ten seconds, Oobleck had another fire going.

It looked exactly like Glynda's.

"I don't understand you," she grumbled. "You know that, right?"

"You're not the first to say so. Professor Ozpin said the same thing, but he saw the value in me to make me a teacher at Beacon."

"I see the value you have too, why do you think I had you come along with me?"

"I understand perfectly, dear, but at the same time, that means missing Mayzie," Oobleck said with a sigh as he sat, his legs crossed.

Glynda's expression changed. She could see Oobleck's demeanor change as he thought about his cousin. "I'll admit, I feel a little sorry for Mayzie. No one really likes her."

"No one really liked her before Beacon either." He sighed. "Why do you think she tags along with me everywhere I go?"

Glynda was silent. She didn't know what to say.

"How did she end up with you almost everywhere?" She found herself leaning forward a little bit, as if she needed to do that in order to hear Oobleck better. She was intrigued. It was a good distraction from the weight she carried about her journey.**

Mayzie watched, but didn't say a word as Signal worked on mapping out a plan for the team to save Ozpin from his imprisonment in the tower.

"Not all of us are going to be able to go up into the tower. A few of us will have to stay behind and guard the elevator while I go up," Signal muttered, clenching her jaw.

"G-Gray will be there — I think," the Translator said.

"Actually, he won't be." Signal grinned.

"What do you mean?" Mayzie said curiously.

"I have reason to believe that he leaves the academy on some nights. I don't know where he goes, but sometimes I see his ship leave the school late at night."

It had been three days since the Translator's clash with Gray and the student's suicide. Signal had had plenty of time to figure out the best way they were going to save Ozpin, and that meant being an acute observer.

"So he's not here tonight?" Mayzie asked.

Signal nodded. "That's right. I don't know where he goes, but quite frankly, I don't care."

"But with him gone, wouldn't it make taking the school back easier? Can't we just end this whole thing right now?"

Signal shook her head. "No. We can't. I overheard Gray talking to someone earlier. I think he was talking to an android of some kind, and he has his own army standing by in case things get messy here. We can't risk lives in order to do this."

"Risking lives is the—the reality—" The Translator stopped, finishing by saying 'of war' in sign language.

"But this isn't war. It can never come to that," Signal said softly.

The Translator appeared skeptical, but didn't say another word.

"I know that if we save Ozpin and Port, they'll be able to deal with Gray's men without anyone else getting hurt. They're that powerful."

"We don't even know what Ozpin's Semblance is," Mayzie said.

"I do," Signal replied.

"And I suppose you're not going to tell us?"

"That's right."

No one said anything else for a minute, trying to absorb everything that had been said.

"Me and Mayzie will make our way up to the top of the tower while Olive and his interpreter guard the elevator that will take us up," Signal explained.

"Not a very intricate strategy," Mayzie commented.

"Yeah, well, this is the best I have. We'll have to take care of any Faunus guards along the way since it's way past curfew, but we'll have to wear robes to disguise our identities," Signal said.

"I'll wear my X-Ray costume," Mayzie said eagerly.

"Underneath your robe? Of course.

"Fine."

Olive laughed along to Mayzie's disgruntled response as the Translator interpreted it.

Mayzie turned to face Olive. "What's so funny?"

Despite the nature of the question, Mayzie was smiling. She liked Olive; he didn't need to have the ability to hear perfectly to be a good friend. The two of them had quickly become reading partners, reading comics together and trading their own copies.

"W-well, if we're going to get—" She paused, signing "started" in sign language.

"Then we better start now," Signal finished with a nod.

*"What happened to Mayzie?" Glynda asked.

"I was the unlucky one, tasked to watch over her when she turned nine. She was an only child, her mother had left the family when she was eight, and I had to start babysitting her when she was nine," Oobleck said.

"But you would've only been thirteen at the time," Glynda pointed out.

"Correct again! But her father would spend long days at work and not very many people liked Mayzie's family and was willing to watch over her, so I took it upon myself to take care of her."

"That's sweet."

"So I've been told, but watching over her cost me a lot of time that was supposed to be spent on studying and learning from my special history classes that I took. I had neglected every other sort of class except history, because it was the only kind of area in school I cared to pay attention to. Everything else I learned on my own."

"How were you able to learn everything on your own?" Glynda asked.

"On some days I babysat Mayzie, I took Mayzie with me into the Emerald Forest so that I can study there. Those—creatures—were not a problem, because Mayzie already knew her Semblance."

"Which is?"**

Around the corner was a large hallway that extended far down until it ended where an elevator was waiting for them. The elevator that would go up to Ozpin's office. Two guards stood watch on both sides of the elevator, and three other Faunus carrying guns patrolled the hallway.

"This is definitely a problem," Signal whispered, "we can easily take them out, but we'd make too much noise."

"I know how to handle them," Mayzie said.

"What? How?"

"Watch me."

Mayzie kept her hood low, wearing her X-Ray costume and keeping her robe close around her. She kept her head tilted down so that it would be difficult for the guards to recognize her, especially since the only light was the moonlight leaking in through the tall windows on one side of the hall.

"Hey! What are you doing? It's curfew," one of the guards barked as he spotted her. A half-grin tilted the corners of Mayzie's mouth upwards. She thrust her hand out, whipping her robe as she did, and concentrated hard. She summoned her own Semblance and released it on all of the Faunus in the hallway. Rapidly, the Faunus began slowly turning into dirt. Their bodies crumbled as they shifted, until they were piles of garden dirt. White roses shot up from the dirt piles.

Mayzie turned around to look behind her at her team. They looked terrified.

"What?"

"Um, nothing. Nothing at all," Signal said weakly.

"Good, then let's keep moving."

"Wait a minute. I thought Gray blocked our connections to our Semblance," Signal hissed.

"My Semblance has a glitch. Gray probably didn't take that into account, so he was unable to have full control over me."

Signal, Olive, and the Translator carefully stepped around the spots where the dirt and flowers were as if the dirt was going to sting them if touched. Signal reached the elevator and pressed the 'up' button. The elevator made the chiming sound to indicate it was about to open.

"Okay, Mayzie, come with me. Olive and his interpreter will stay right here to fend off anyone that comes," Signal said.

"Y-you know that if we fail this, we will n-never g-get to try again," the Translator said harshly.

Signal nodded grimly. "I know."

When Signal and Mayzie went in the elevator and started to ascend up, they were unaware that Gray himself had turned the corner into the hallway and was approaching the Translator and Olive with a sly grin on his face.**

*"That is an - interesting - Semblance. Somehow, the glitch makes sense," Glynda said.

"Indeed. It can be destructive if not handled responsibly. The world would be full of more flowers if Mayzie didn't know how to control her Semblance. Fortunately, she does. Shortly after Mayzie turned eleven, her father flew to Atlas on a business trip and, as usual, I was left in charge. Mayzie and I were in the Emerald Forest and she didn't know what to do while I studied. So I suggested to her to go pick flowers. A reasonable suggestion to keep her busy. She came back to me five minutes later and presented me with a white rose, and told me it was for me."

Oobleck stopped for a moment, allowing Glynda time to let the words sink in and for him to keep his thoughts organized. Glynda could've sworn she saw something like a tear in Oobleck's eye. If it was true, it would be a first for Oobleck.

"When I took Mayzie back home, she helped me put the dirt and rose in a pot, then showed me how to water it and keep it alive. That was when she told me that she actually used some 'magic' she had to make the flower. That was when I was able to tell her that she had discovered her Semblance. Her father never came back from Atlas, and I never got to get ahold of him again, it was as if he had just completely forgotten about her. So I wasn't going to forget about her."

For several minutes, Oobleck and Glynda didn't say a word. They were both transfixed on the campfire.

"Well, it's time for me to go to sleep. You take first watch," Oobleck finally said. He then dropped to his side and immediately fell asleep. Any emotion that was apparent on his face was completely gone.

Glynda sighed, turning around to gaze out at the endless river underneath a broken moon ahead of her.**

*The elevator doors slid open, and Signal and Mayzie cautiously stepped in. Two Faunus guards were standing by the desk. Both of them jumped.

"Stand back, we don't want to hurt you," one of them snapped, aiming his gun at her.

"You don't know what you've gotten yourselves into. You're following orders from a human," Signal said.

"What we decide to do is none of your business. For your sake, go back down and we won't report you," the first guard said. It almost sounded like he was pleading.

"Let Ozpin go free," Signal demanded.

"We can't do that. For the last time, get back in the elevator and leave," the second guard bellowed.

Signal shook her head. "I can't do that."

With a twinge of pain in her stomach at the thought of what she had to do, she unsheathed her daggers and leaped. Several swings of her daggers forced the first guard back against the desk, dropping his gun as a sharp pain shot up his back. Signal grabbed ahold of the guard's head and bashed it against the table hard enough to knock him out.

Mayzie made easy work of the second guard, using a powerful blast from a gun that she had. On the side of the barrel was a spray-painted white rose.

Ozpin was chained to the wall with his head bowed. He was breathing heavily and sweat soaked his shirt.

"Professor Ozpin," Signal said as she approached him. She crouched.

"Ozpin?"

Ozpin stirred and groaned as he lifted his head to look up at her. "Oh, good. It's Signal coming to save the day."

Signal felt her heart soften. She smiled. "Good to see Gray didn't take away your sense of humor."

"What are you doing here, really?" Ozpin asked.

"What do you mean? We're getting you out of here. Just tell us where Port is being kept and you and him can defeat Gray and his followers."

"No. Not yet."

"What are you talking about? You can do it!" Signal pleaded.

"No!" Ozpin snapped. Signal stiffened, and Mayzie took a step back too. Ozpin sighed. His eyes were cloudy, having lost the spark that he usually had. Dried blood crusted his lips, cracking and crumbling as he spoke.

"No, Signal. As long as Gray has control over all of us, we are nothing against him, not even me. I can't risk the lives of any more students here, not even one."

Signal remembered the Translator's words: "Risking lives is the reality of war."

This isn't a war. This is a private conflict within a school.

"We train to risk our lives to protect our world, and you know that!" Signal snapped.

"The best thing for me to do is stay here and find out what Gray is trying to do. He said that I should know what he wants. I'm racking my brain to find out what it is, and I think it's only a matter of time before he spills," Oz said.

Signal fidgeted, trying to absorb all that Ozpin was saying. She began to understand better. "So you want to stay here to learn more."

"Come back to see me in a few days. By then, I should have the information I need, then be able to give you further instruction," Ozpin replied, sounding slightly more confident.

Signal thought about it for a moment. She hoped that Oz didn't just come up with that plan on the spot to make her happy enough to leave him. She couldn't stand the idea of leaving her Headmaster and friend here in the clutches of an evil man, but there was nothing more she could do since Oz made it clear he didn't want to be saved yet.

"Alright. But I'm holding you to your word."

"Signal, I wouldn't expect anything more from you."

"Good. Stay alive, okay?"

"You know I always do," Oz said half-heartedly.

"Where's Professor Ozpin?" the Translator asked as Signal and Mayzie descended down to them.

"He thinks it would be best for him to stay up there until he finds out what Gray is after or what he wants. I'm to go back up there and meet with him in a few days for further instruction," Signal explained. The Translator interpreted to Olive, and he nodded, looking slightly depressed.

"Let's go back to our room and try to get some sleep. I'm exhausted," Signal said. As she was passing the Translator, she noticed something in her eyes that hinted something was wrong. Signal waited until Mayzie and Olive were a few feet ahead of them and stopped.

"Onyx, are you okay?" She asked.

"Uh, oh, yes," the Translator said hastily.

Signal wasn't sure if that was the truth, but she let the issue drop and followed the others back to their dorm room, feeling a cold lump in her throat. She wasn't going to get any sleep that night.**


	7. To Prevent War

**AN: This is my favorite chapter yet! Sorry again for at first posting this in the weird 'p' style, I honestly don't know exactly how that happens. Anyway, there will be no new chapter next week, but I will continue posting chapters the week after.**

 **To answer people's questions regarding Ruby's and Yang's family tree, Qrow is Yang's blood uncle. Raven is Qrow's brother and Yang's mother. Taiyang is** ** _not_** **Qrow's brother, and in fact has no relation to Qrow until he supposedly married Raven being that he and Raven have Yang together. Summer Rose is Ruby's mother but as far as I know, has no relation to any of Qrow's teammates until she has Ruby with Taiyang shortly after Raven disappears. Hopefully this all helps! Merry Christmas guys!**

Six Years Ago…

*Signal's scroll was ringing, and it never did so unless there was an emergency. With a trembling hand, Signal pressed 'Ignore'. Her brother was attempting to call her, and she hated talking to him.

"Is everything okay?" Summer asked her at the table in Ozpin's home. Both of Ozpin's parents were out for dinner that night, meaning Signal, Ozpin, Summer, and Taiyang had the place all to themselves. Qrow and Raven were out somewhere on an investigation, of which they would have results shortly.

"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't they?" Signal asked. Summer tilted her head, making it crystal clear to Signal that she wasn't buying it.

"I told you you can talk to me about anything," she said.

"I know."

"Then what is it?"

"My brother needs me to bail him out again," Signal explained.

"Why aren't you going to do it this time?" Summer asked.

"Because he should've learned after the last billion times."

To be more accurate, Signal's brother had been put in jail for robbery six times. This was his seventh.

"He thinks by robbing banks, he can get the money to get me and my parents off the street," Signal continued.

"I'm sorry, Signal," Summer said.

"I know. Thank you. He'll figure something out on his own."

"You know we love having you with us, right Signal?" Summer asked.

Signal believed it. At least, she had to. It was her way of finding comfort in the darkest time of her life.

Summer was distracted by Ozpin doubling over with his hand gripping his stomach.

"Do I always have to step in to take care of you like a mother?" she asked with a sigh.

"That's preferable," Oz said, trying to hold in the entire large bowl of noodles he had consumed in under five minutes. Taiyang stopped the timer on his scroll.

"Congratulations Ozpin, you beat me by four seconds," he announced.

"Hooray me," Oz groaned, beginning to pound the table with his fist.

"Why is it always my job to baby you guys?" Summer asked. She stood up and began guiding Oz towards the bathroom. Signal smiled after them, re-living the feeling of being home again.

Then, Qrow came into the house, holding up his scroll like it was a trophy he had just won.

"We have it. We have our ticket to delivering a blow to Collus," he said.

"How?" Taiyang asked.

"Raven managed to get codes downloaded into this scroll, courtesy of Ozpin's mother. With these codes, we can break into a high-security storage facility where Collus is keeping dozens and dozens of Dust samples and crystals for his dirty work. The plan is to break in and steal them away," Qrow explained. He appeared to be rather proud of himself.

Signal wasn't so sure what she thought.

Taiyang asked Signal's unspoken question. "What do you plan to do with the Dust afterwards?"

"I've been doing some thinking," Qrow said as he sat down at the table. "We can use the Dust and crystals as fuel for weapons for people that have nothing to defend themselves against Faunus freedom fighters. Faunus attacks have begun to grow lately. One family was shot and killed in the town of Vale, and they had nothing to defend themselves."

Signal felt her heart sink deeper and deeper as she listened. Basically, Qrow's plan was to arm humans to kill Faunus if the need arises, but something much more sinister could come out of it. It was because some humans were armed that they had the ability to capture and drop Faunus into the Emerald Forest, then hunt them down and kill them without mercy just like they did to Onyx's parents. A majority of the human race hated and bullied the Faunus, but with weapons, they could do worse. They could enslave the Faunus, and the reason behind the Faunus war would be for nothing.

"I'm in," Taiyang said with his arms folded.

"Tell the others that we move out first thing tomorrow morning. Where are the others anyway?" Qrow asked.

"Ozpin has been having some issues," Taiyang said.

"You guys are all jerks!" Ozpin cried from the bathroom.

"Then I best be on my way," Qrow said. He stood up and began walking out the door. Signal got up and went after him. She wanted to speak with him in private.

"Did you forget who else was sitting in there with you guys?" Signal asked.

Qrow stopped and turned to face her with a groan. "I didn't think you would be completely onboard with it, but what does it matter? You're not part of our team. You're just a kid."

I'm only a few years younger than you," Signal replied with her arms folded, feeling an intense heat began to radiate through her body.

"So what's your problem then exactly?" Qrow asked.

"My problem is that you will start a whole new war if you go through with this," Signal said.

"My job is to protect my kind. I wouldn't stop you if you were trying to do what you can to protect yours."

"I thought you guys were about protecting the human race from the creatures of Grimm. That's what being a huntsman and huntress is all about."

"Yes, but this different. We're recognizing another threat and we're taking action."

"How many more of my kind need to be killed before one of your kind realizes that enough is enough?"

Qrow stiffened and he clenched his fists. "You're smart. I'll give you that. But you have no say in this matter. I'm doing what needs to be done, and that's all that matters."

He turned to start walking away, then stopped. "Tomorrow when we go, don't come with us."

Signal didn't go back into Ozpin's home. She took the hover pad that Summer had given her after the first two weeks she spent with them and headed over to the house where Onyx lived. She didn't go in right away. She looked through the window at Onyx, who had gotten a fire going in the fireplace and was working on something on the floor. At closer examination, she saw that it was a wristband the girl was making.

Signal softly knocked on the door. "It's me."

Onyx opened the door. Signal felt her sadness grow to the point of discomfort. She fought to hold back tears.

"Hey," Signal said. It was all she was able to manage getting out.

"Signal?" Onyx said, glancing back. "Come in!" She rose, moving towards her. Signal allowed Onyx to take her hand and bring her inside.

"I made this for you," Onyx said. She picked up what she was working on. It was a pink wristband. Signal hated the color pink, but she appreciated it anyway. "I wanted to write something on it. But I'm not sure what."

"Hey, Onyx?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, okay?"

Onyx held the wristband against her chest with both hands. A small tear inched its way out of her eye."I love you too."

"I have to go, okay?"

"What? Where are you going?"

"I just need to do something very important," Signal said. She decided to not add the phrase "in case I don't come back" followed by a request. She had to let Onyx believe that she will come back. It was highly unlikely that she was going to get away with what she was about to do, and if she's caught, there was no returning.**

*Signal squirmed in her sleeping bag in the alley her parents lived in back in the town of Vale. There was no escape from the sounds of honking cars, running motors, and shouting people. Her ill mother slept fitfully beside her while her father stared up at the sky on the other side of her. Her brother was nowhere to be found, and this time she was done trying with him.

Signal didn't regret taking Qrow's scroll when she snuck into his room and made the switch. She felt Qrow's scroll in her pocket, complete with the codes that the team needed to steal the Dust and crystals. They couldn't be trusted in any human's hands, not even the most noble ones.

The other thing she put on the scroll she had slipped Qrow was far worse.

Half of her wished that Qrow wouldn't find out, if only so that she could stay friends with Ozpin. She didn't understand why she was willing to torture herself like that. She knew that she and Ozpin would never able to be something more.**

*Three of Collus' men went flying as Qrow swung his gigantic sword at them. The men hit the wall and crumpled to the floor.

Taiyang twirled the shotgun he had with one hand, aimed with both hands, and fired at two upcoming opponents that were coming at him, scarlet swords held high. Both enemies fell to the floor, stopped by the bullets.

Summer joined Taiyang's side, armed with twin handguns, pelting opponents with bullets without stopping. Finally, she lost ammo in both guns and dropped them to pull out her sniper rifle. She aimed up at a man who was getting into a turret and took her shot. The man fell to the ground with a smoking head.

"They just keep coming," Taiyang grunted, pressing the button on his shotgun to transform it into a long sword. He deflected dozens of bullets with it as more of Collus' men charged after them.

"I thought you said once that you could take on at least a hundred waves," Summer said.

"I can."

"Don't just say stuff to impress the ladies," Summer said, firing off another round from her sniper. Another enemy went down.

Ozpin was crouched behind a crate with his gun, constructed when he was ten.

"You really need an upgrade!" Taiyang shouted at him.

"Yes, thank you, you're not the only one to tell me that," Oz snarled. He straightened, and unloaded several rounds into two other men leaping down from the boardwalk above. The four of them were in the middle of a room in the storage facility where there were walkways surrounding them with a boardwalk in a square above them.

Several men came from one direction armed with machine rifles. They stopped, knelt, and started firing frantic bullets at them. Taiyang dived out of the way, grabbing Summer and pulling her along with him to protect her.

"You're not making this easy for me," Summer hissed when they were well out of the way of the trail of bullets.

"You're welcome, dear," Taiyang said easily.

"Look, there's another group behind us," Ozpin said, pointing out another group of men with rifles coming from the walkway behind them.

"They're trying to box us in," Summer realized aloud.

"You think?" Taiyang asked.

"They've got some very advanced guns, it'll take forever for them to run out of ammo," Ozpin pointed out.

"So what do we do?" Taiyang asked.

A third group of men bearing rifles came rushing in from the left, then soon another from the right.

Qrow and Taiyang did the best they could to parry the gunfire. Ozpin let loose a high-pitched shriek when the crate he was hiding behind burst apart from all the bullets.

"Help me," Oz yelped.

"You're worthless, you know that?" Summer growled. She dived behind another crate and attempted to snipe one of the men in front of her in the head, but the shot barely missed, flying straight past his head and getting lost wherever the hallway led.

"Smooth," Taiyang commented. Summer ignored him, fired another round. One man got hit and crumpled to the floor, dropping his rifle first.

Another crate burst and wooden debris flew everywhere, peppering Summer's long hair.

Then she saw the sun-colored crystal rolling by her. She reached out and snatched it.

"Everyone, look for crystals! They're in the crates," she shouted. Taking a long breath to revive her focus, Summer tossed the crystal over the crate where she was hiding and watched it land and slide towards the opponents' feet. As quickly as she could, she aimed and fired, unloading a round into the crystal. The crystal exploded, tossing the men backwards and a small fire erupted, blocking them off from the team.

"That's one group down," Summer announced.

"Everyone, follow suit," Qrow ordered. Ozpin snatched up a crystal of his own, which was a chilly blue and thrust it at another group, then started firing at it to make it explode.

"Really?" Taiyang snapped.

"Oh you've got to be joking," Ozpin groaned. He had unloaded an entire cartridge in his gun at the crystal and missed every time, resulting in blackened marks all around the crystal and all over the wall.

The leader of the group picked the crystal up, grinned and inserted it into his rifle. The rifle glowed and began to intensify.

"Take cover!" Qrow screamed. Everyone leaped out of the way as the leader fired. The bullet smashed against the ground where Summer had just been crouching and a thicket of ice exploded into being. The ground around the thicket started to turn to ice and surround Summer's feet. She could feel herself slipping and it became harder and harder to keep her footing intact.

"This is the part when we get backup," Summer shouted to Qrow.

"Yeah. Yeah, about now," he replied, trying to stay standing himself.

"I can't hold them off much longer," Taiyang shouted.

Ozpin, too, was trying to keep the three groups of opponents away by continuing to shoot at them.

Finally, the ground shook and Summer was tossed off her feet. She hit her head hard, and stars promptly exploded in her vision. When she was able to refocus her gaze, she saw a young woman standing in the center of the room carrying an odachi, a great red sword. She had long flowing black hair and eyes that matched the color of her sword. She wore a shallow cut black dress, a red-girdle belt, and a pair of matching gauntlets.

Where did she come from? Summer thought.

The ice directly underneath her feet had scattered away in pieces like shards of glass, making it easy for her to stand straight and intimidate the enemy. Collus' men stopped firing and looked on nervous at the new arrival. The woman swiped her sword in empty air, creating a powerful wind directed towards a group of enemies, blowing them back hard. She leaped high and assaulted the second group, knocking each of the men down with flips, kicks, and bashes to the head with the hilt of her sword.

"Don't make me do everything!" the woman shouted.

Summer shook herself out of her hypnotic stare and took out each of the men in the last group with a round from her sniper rifle.

"Happy?" Summer asked.

"Very," the woman replied with an approving nod. Everyone got up and got back together, standing close to each other and staring at the arrival.

"Took you long enough," Qrow said.

"My apologies, I was held up," the woman replied.

It then dawned on Summer who the new arrival was. "Raven Branwen?"

"The one and only."

"How did you get here?"

"My sister has the ability to teleport, using the power of the Dust in her sword blade," Qrow explained.

"We must keep moving. It's vital that we get our hands on these codes," Raven said.

With nods from everyone else, they made their way to the tightly sealed safe near the back of the building.

"This is it," Ozpin said, excitement trembling in his voice.

"Be sure to thank your mom a thousand times over," Taiyang said.

Qrow pulled out his scroll and powered it on, bringing up the list of codes given to him by Raven. The security screen on the wall beside the locker blinked on as Qrow tapped his finger on it.

"This is a complicated system. It's rigged with four different codes in order to get inside. Whatever is in here, is not something Collus wants people to have easy access to," Qrow said. He started punching in the first code. He could feel the anticipation rising in his teammates as he punched away. He even noticed that Raven was holding her breath.

After punching in the first code, he pressed the 'Enter' button.

The words 'Code Invalid' flashed across the screen.

Qrow felt his insides collapse into ruin. "What?"

"What's going on?" Ozpin asked.

"I—I don't know," Qrow said. In a rush, he attempted to punch in the same code again. Surely it was just some bug in the system.

Code Invalid.

Qrow felt anger swell up his throat. "What is this?"

"How could the code be wrong? There's no way Ozpin's mother could've gotten it wrong," Taiyang pointed out.

"Unless Ozpin's mother was deceiving us," Raven suggested.

"No. There's no way Ozpin's mother could've done that. She wants Collus' work destroyed just as much as we do, maybe even more," Qrow said.

"He's right about that. It was something else," Ozpin said.

"Well, maybe Collus knew we were coming. Maybe Ozpin's mother was caught," Raven said.

Ozpin immediately called his mother, anxious for her to answer.

"Hello?"

"Mom, this is Ozpin. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm alright, I'm at home."

Ozpin listened for the slightest clue that she may be lying or trying to keep her voice calm while Collus had her in his clutches. There was no hint. She was completely calm.

"We thought that maybe you had been caught," Ozpin said.

"Why would you think that?"

"The codes given to us were wrong, or maybe Collus had changed them, we don't know yet."

Qrow thought for a moment. He racked his brain for any possibilities. What did he miss?

Then it hit him. "My problem is that you will start a whole new war if you go through with this."

Signal did this, he thought. She switched the scrolls and gave him a fake set of codes.

His anger finally reached the boiling point.

"We have to go," Qrow said.

Without questioning him, Qrow's team followed him to flee the building.

When they fled the building, Collus Torchwick arrived in a loading truck at the site with a large group of his own men.

"Sir, there's a tracker on one of the thief's scrolls. I don't think he did that himself," one of the men informed Collus, holding up his own scroll. A blinking red dot could be seen fleeing through the Emerald Forest.

Collus turned to the men waiting for his command.

"After the thieves! Bring them to me alive!" He ordered.**


	8. Act Of Rebellion

**AN: Hey guys, glad to be back! Happy New Year! I'll be honest, I'm a little skeptical about this chapter so please leave feedback for me and let me know what you think and if I should make any necessary changes.**

*Signal jerked herself upright and found herself on the floor next to her bed. Cold sweat streamed down her face and soaked her shirt. She got up and looked around. Olive and Mayzie were sleeping soundly in their own beds. The Translator's bed was empty.

Her name is Onyx, stop thinking of her as the 'Translator', Signal admonished herself.

Signal got her night robe and stepped out of the room, being sure not to be too loud. She made her way to the door that would lead out into the courtyard. With an approving nod from the apparently loyal Faunus guards, Signal stepped outside and went to the statue.

Onyx was sitting right by it, staring up at the sky. There were no stars out this time and the moon was hidden too behind a wall of clouds.

"Woke up f-from re-remembering?" she asked.

Signal blinked twice before answering. "Yeah."

Signal joined Onyx to look up at the sky. They were each so very different, and yet so very much alike. And in this one moment, this space of time, they both craved hope.**

*At first light the next morning, Glynda and Oobleck continued on their way to Agrabah, until they finally went up a short hill and stopped behind the wall of rock at the top. From there they were able to overlook the abandoned village ahead, with a host of mountains shadowing it from behind.

"Are you sure no one would be there?" Glynda asked.

"Hard to say. There are no records of anyone coming in here since it died in the war, but no guarantees," Oobleck informed her cheerfully.

"Wonderful,"she muttered.

"We can only hope that there won't be any surprises waiting for us there."

"We can handle them, whatever they might be."

"You're sounding like Professor Ozpin," Oobleck said, sounding surprised.

Without warning, Oobleck took off without Glynda, racing at top-speed through the forest. Eventually, the terrain stopped.

"Wait!" she shouted, but it was too late. Once she finally caught up with Oobleck, she found him observing the brick houses lined up on both sides of them.

"I've found nothing. This looks completely abandoned," he said calmly.

"Where do you think we would find what my mother was looking for?" Glynda asked.

"Well, given that there isn't much here to begin with, I'd say we should come to a discovery after a good twenty minutes. Or perhaps three hours, maybe a month . . ."

"Thank you Oobleck, I can count on you to be so very encouraging."

"Absolutely! That's what I'm supposed to be."

"With how fast you are, I think you could have every house searched within ten seconds," Glynda pointed out.

"Excellent point my dear, that's another way that I'm useful."

While Oobleck searched the houses, Glynda pulled out her scroll and attempted to call Ozpin. There was no signal.

"Great," Glynda muttered.

Oobleck popped up directly behind Glynda's shoulder. "Is there a problem, my dear?"

"No, no problem. I just can't get any signal out here."

"Yes, that's to be expected. So far I've found nothing of significance in this village except for the brilliantly hidden trapdoor underneath us."

"What?"

The trapdoor underneath their feet then swung open, pulling Glynda and Oobleck underground.

Glynda could hear her heart beat in her ears like a loud drum, drowning out all other sounds. Without giving it a single thought, Glynda immediately activated her Aura as her butt landed on hard rock and she slid. She was sliding through a tunnel of rock, with Oobleck sliding next to her - his own Aura was activated. They both glowed, lighting up the black tunnel slide.

Finally, the slide ended and they tumbled onto the unforgiving ground below. Glynda shook her head and stood up. With the exception of feeling a bit sore, thanks to her Aura she had been able to keep herself from getting injured.

"Well, that was very inconvenient," Oobleck remarked as he got up and dusted himself off.

Glynda looked around, trying to take in her surroundings, but there was very little to see. They were in a small space with its walls made entirely of rock. However, there was a steel door in their way. Oobleck tried the handle. It was sealed shut.

"Oh, dear," he said.

Glynda groaned. Oh, dear was right.**

*"Well Ozpin, I believe the wait is almost over," Gray said as he stepped inside Ozpin's office. Ozpin lifted his head, groaning as a muscle popped painfully in his neck. "I think it's about time you know why I'm here," Gray continued.

"Whatever you're here for to do, it's not worth it. It will not be worth it," Ozpin said.

Gray knelt in front of Oz so that his eyes were level with his. "Were you there to help her when she needed help? When your Faunus friend was taken away?"

"Don't!" Ozpin roared.

"Don't worry. It happens to the best of us. Now, about why I'm here . . ."

In a few short, concise sentences, Gray revealed enough to make Ozpin sick to his stomach. What will I do? he thought. I hope Signal comes back so I can tell her what Gray is planning . . .

"There. You feel better? Shouldn't be too long now and this will all be over soon."

The communicator on Oz's desk beeped, signaling an incoming call. With a raised eyebrow, Gray walked over to the desk and pressed the 'receive' button. A small screen featuring Signal popped up on the screen.

"Hello Headmaster Gray," she said.

"What is this?" Gray asked.

"Oh, just a little plan to help the others have fun while under your care. You're not helping us feel happy," Signal replied.

Gray chuckled. "I'm trying to teach you discipline my dear, and the process normally doesn't bring happiness."

"Well we're going to prove you wrong," Signal said flatly. The screen faded to black.

Gray muttered a few profane words and slammed his fist down on the desk. Ozpin couldn't help but smile, covering a small laugh with a cough. "My students are not the type to give up," he said.

"If breaking them is what I have to do, then I will do it," Gray snarled. He stalked out of the room and stepped into the elevator. "I know that Signal was here last night. She will learn from her mistakes."

Bile rose in his throat, held down only by the invisible fist clenching at his neck. "No . . ."

The elevator closed, leaving Oz alone in his office, chained to the wall.

"Glynda!"**

*Signal hesitated for a second before she flipped the switch to turn on the dance lights. It was Mayzie's idea to rebel against Gray by setting up a dance party for the students. While it wasn't exactly the kind of rebellion Signal had in mind - she preferred something violent towards Gray - she knew that it was a start to show Gray that they woud not tolerate his hold on the academy.

She gasped hard when she saw Gray come in the small room set behind the curtains where the switches were.

"Don't do this," he said simply, calmly. Too calmly.

"Screw you Gray," Signal growled, and she flipped the switch.

The lights came on in the dance room and the music started playing. Signal could feel a slight warmth bloom in her at the sound of students laughing and cheering. She turned her back on Gray and left to join the others. She walked up to the Translator - Onyx - who was standing to the side, and offered her her hand.

"May I have this dance?" she asked.

Onyx let loose a half-smile and gladly accepted.

 _I trust you_.

The words echoed in her head, cutting Signal to the quick. It had been so long ago, that time when her world had shattered into a million different pieces.

 _I love you, okay?_

 _I love you too_.**

Six Years Ago…

*Signal couldn't choose to stay behind in the city before visiting Onyx one last time. What was she going to do with her? On the way, Signal stopped at a tree close by the house and with her own sharp claws that extended out, she carved a few words on it. She looked at it for a moment. It was perfect.

"Onyx," she said as she got to the house.

Onyx looked up at her with a smile. It tore her up inside, a pair of sharp claws raking down across her lungs and chest.

"I was wondering if you would like to go back with me to the city where I live. You can have a home there with me."

Onyx looked around at the house. She had really spent some time making it her own place. There were drawings tacked on all the walls and there were some unfinished wood carvings scattered across the floor. The place wasn't clean, but it was a work in progress.

"Can I take all my stuff with me?"

"Of course you can."

"What about your friends?"

"They'll be fine on their own."

"Well — "

The front door flew open. Qrow stood in the doorway, his face a terrifying scarlet.

 _No no no no no no_.

"Qrow, what are you doing here?" Signal asked, struggling to keep her voice level.

"Where are the codes?" Qrow demanded. He took a single step forward, his hands violently trembling at his sides.

 _No no no no no the tracker no no NO_.

"Qrow, you have to go."

"Not until you give me the codes. If you give them to me now, I'll forget the whole thing even happened."

"Qrow, please! You have to go!"

"There they are!" someone outside shouted.

Signal looked past Qrow and counted seven men in silver combat suits leaping off a truck. They were armed with long scarlet swords.

"How did they track me?" Qrow asked. He reached into his pocket and turned on the scroll. With several clicks he pulled up the tracker on it. He looked at Signal, horror blazing hot in his eyes.

"Signal?"

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Everything slowed down. The only thing Signal could hear was her own heartbeat, which was running abnormally fast.

"Signal, what's going on?" Onyx asked behind her. Her voice seemed to echo, cutting through the sound of Signal's heartbeat and forcing a sharp ache up through her chest and into her heart.**

Present Day…

*"Wh-why are y-you crying?" Onyx asked as she and Signal danced. It was a tender, slow dance accompanied by an old but beautiful song.

 _I will cling, I will clutch_

 _I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away_

Signal let go of Onyx and wiped the tear from her cheek. Feeling it against her fingers made her want to cry more. She was afraid that if she started, she'd never stop.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Onyx paused and they stopped dancing. Everything slowed down, just like on that day when —

"I'm sorry you got taken away. It was all my fault. I was trying to get rid of Qrow for what he was planning to do," Signal said.

"Y-you helped those men track h-him . . . ?" Onyx asked.

"Yes," Signal answered. More tears fell. She hated herself.

Onyx reached up and wiped one of Signal's tears away. "It's okay. You d-did the right—the right thing. He was a f-fool. All humans are."

"No! No, it's not okay! You got taken away and enslaved and you lost a child and now you can't talk right and now —"

Onyx combed Signal's hair with her fingers. The look in her eye was deep. It was beautiful. "One day, all h-humans will s-suffer for what th-they do to us."

"But Onyx, that's not right."

Onyx put on a 'you-silly-girl' smile and kept her hand pressed against Signal's cheek.

"I love you, okay?"

"Onyx?"

 _"_ Now l-listen to me, okay? S-soon we're going to m-make our e-enemies p-pay," Onyx said, her loving smile twisting into something else. It looked eerily sadistic.

Before Signal could say anything else however, someone clapped loudly. Signal turned and saw Gray standing in the center of the room. Everybody had stopped dancing and was looking at him, some looking gloomy at the sight of him. On his knees in front of him was Cobal.**

Six Years Ago…

*Signal pulled out her daggers and braced herself for Collus' men. They came fast, some slipping past Qrow to get at her and Onyx.

"Onyx, stay behind me!" Signal shouted.

One of the men finally got to her and swung for her neck, Signal caught the swing with her twin blades and pushed the sword away. She slashed both her daggers in diagonal arcs across the man's chest in a crisscross, then aimed a hard kick at his chest, sending him flying backwards and slamming against the wall.

One of the men leaped over a table to catch Signal from behind, but she heard his movement and spun around, letting one of her daggers go flying. The dagger spun fast, cutting the man down then taking a u-turn back to Signal. Signal ducked and the dagger passed over her, cutting down the next man on the other side of her. The dagger took one more turn around and returned to her waiting hand.

Signal did a spin-kick at another opponent, stunning him enough for a few seconds, but it didn't last long. The man shook his head and advanced at her again, managing to grab her by the back of the neck and bash her head down on the table. Pain exploded at the base of her neck, and her hands lost the grip on the daggers. Signal got both her hands on the table and pushed, forcing herself and the man back. The man lost his footing and he fell. Signal went down with him and landed on top of him. She struck the man in the head with her elbow, wincing at the sound of crunching bone.

Signal started crawling for her daggers. "Onyx!"

"I'm here!"

Signal watched Onyx take a glass vase that was on one of the shelves in the wall and swing it like a club at the head of an incoming human. The vase broke and the man went down in a heap. Onyx dropped what remained of the vase and shivered at the sight.

Signal reached out and took hold of one of the daggers. Someone stomped his boot down on the blade, preventing Signal from picking it up.

She knew now that the only way they were going to get out of this is if she activated her Semblance.

Then pain unlike anything she had felt before soaked her shoulder in blood.

Confused about why she was feeling that pain in the first place, she reached up and felt her shoulder where she had been shot. Her hand came away wet, scarlet smeared across her palm like paint.

This isn't right.

She couldn't give up. This wasn't right, this wasn't right. With a bloodcurdling scream, she continued pulling for her dagger. The man who had his boot on it reached down and struck Signal across the head. She fell flat on her face.

There was nothing but pain and blood and screams, shredding the skin in her throat, the blood choking her.

She looked up one last time and saw Onyx's head hit the wall after being thrown backwards by one of the men. She fell and landed on her face.

When Signal felt for her dagger again, she realized someone's foot wasn't pressed down on it and she lifted it up. Another gunshot went off, and part of the blade erupted into pieces.

She felt herself get hauled off her feet and dragged away. Through the unbearable, excruciating pain, she managed to cry out one word. It was all the strength she had left to do.

 _Ozpin_.**

Present Day…

*Gray grinned from ear to ear and kicked Cobal hard in the back, forcing him onto his hands too.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for making sure to attend this class. I have a very important lesson to teach this afternoon," he said.

Signal felt herself shiver in her dress. It was a thin dress, with little protection from whatever the temperature was, but the temperature inside her had grown ice cold at the sight of Gray and the inevitable sick twist that was going to ruin the dance.

"This young man right here, is responsible for attempting to take advantage of a student, and I think given all the crap that student experiences with humans, I think she would love to teach this one a thing or two," Gray said. From inside his coat, Gray presented an electric whip. "Will Signal Belladonna please step forward?" he called. His gaze immediately locked onto Signal. She shivered and found herself clutching hard onto Onyx. Onyx held her tightly back. "You know that this human deserves it. You want this done to him, just like every other human being," Gray said.

"You deserve it more," Signal shot back.

"I know, but it's important to start small. Step up and take the whip," Gray said.

Flashbacks popped before her eyes - back to when the news showed the Faunus rebel Jasper whipping a human who worked for the Schnee Dust Company until he died. Jasper felt like the human deserved it. Did Signal feel that was justified?

Gray activated the whip, and electricity crackled and coursed through it. He let the whip go down, striking Cobal across the back. Cobal cried out in pain and struggled to keep himself from falling flat.

Signal immediately took a step forward and then stopped. What was she to do?

"You know you want to," Gray said.

Gray swung down again. Smoke rose from Cobal's skin as he screamed again.

Signal thought about what Cobal tried to do to her. He was weak, vulnerable, greedy. He seemed like the type that would be more than willing to have a Faunus as a pet slave in a heartbeat.

But still. . .

The whip went down a third time.

"Stop!" Signal yelled. Gray paused and grinned again, showing off all his teeth.

"You want me?" she snarled. "Truly?" She paused, teeth gritted hard enough to hurt. "Well, you can have me!"

And then her daggers jumped into her hands and she was racing, racing towards Gray.

Racing towards death, be it for Gray or herself.

 **AN: I actually rewrote the end of Signal's and Onyx's conversation at the dance about three or four times to try and get it right. Signal still has old feelings for Ozpin and detects that Onyx wants a romantic relationship, which she does not want. I kept rewriting that last moment in their conversation, mainly the thoughts going through Signal's head about Onyx's turn in her mood, and in one of the 'drafts', Onyx tries to make it very obvious to Signal that she wants something more than friendship, but Signal starts backing off. Signal starts to realize that Onyx is 'falling for her' because Signal is the only real person in her life that had considered her a friend, cared for her, and stayed by her side up until the time they were abducted, and Onyx doesn't really know anyone else, making her desires more narrow. I changed this to what is on the final publication, where Onyx makes her affection a little more subtle and changes her mood, revealing that she has a plan to kill humans, and she wants Signal to join her.**


	9. Finding It

**AN: Don't have much to say going forward with this one. Credit again to Elfin Maid for editing and polishing this chapter!**

Six Years Ago…

*Signal was shoved through the door into a tiny room that only had a table and one other person inside. She whirled around to face the man who put her in there.

"Where's Onyx?" she cried, her voice crazed. Two layers of bandages had been crudely stamped on her shoulder where she had been shot. She could still feel the shredded flesh underneath it. The man shut the door and locked it, trapping Signal inside. Signal banged on the door several times before stopping as her shoulder started crying out in protest.

"Please!" she groaned. She rested her head against the door, and despite her will tears began to leak from her eyes. "Let me out."

Someone rested a hand on her shoulder. Signal spun and slapped the hand's owner in the face. The person yelped and covered his mouth where he had been hit.

"Ow!"

The person wore a cap on his head and a generic gray servant's uniform that male Faunus slaves typically wore. Signal took note of it.

"You slap hard," the young man complained.

"Sorry," Signal replied, though she wasn't sure if she was really sorry yet. The boy reached up and pulled his cap off, revealing panther ears.

"It's okay. I'm a Faunus too. My name is Auburn." he said.

Signal relaxed a bit more, though her heart still wept for Onyx. "I see."

Auburn frowned, obviously expecting her to tell him her own name. But she didn't feel ready for that. With a shrug, he gestured to the table with no chairs and the two of them walked over to stand on both sides of it.

"I apologize that there aren't any seats."

"Where are we?" Signal asked.

"One of Collus Torchwick's private facilities in downtown Vale," Auburn answered. Signal thought about the fact that such places like these existed in downtown Vale, but hardly anybody seemed to care or even notice at all.

"What are you to Collus?" Signal asked.

"Just a servant. I'm guessing he took you to be one as well," Auburn sighed, then continued. "Granted, there's the possibility that he'll sell you to someone else. He always tries finding new ways to make money."

More and more, the reasoning behind Qrow's and his team's intent on bringing Collus to justice was making sense now that she was one of Collus' victims.

"You know, I'm gonna have to call you something _eventually_ ," Auburn said.

"I'm sure something will turn up," Signal replied.

Auburn reluctantly nodded. "Just stick with me, and you'll be fine. I don't intend on hurting you. Ever," Auburn assured her.

Signal decided she could go with that for now. "Thank you."**

Present Day…

*In the pocket of her pants, Glynda felt along several sheets of paper that she had found while looking for a map in Ozpin's room. The information listed on the papers worried Glynda. It made her question Ozpin and his motives, and she wasn't sure how or when to present her grievances to him, but it had to be soon, otherwise Glynda would always feel a little hostile towards Ozpin, and she didn't want that.

She hoped that Ozpin was more honest with Signal then the papers suggested.

Having had enough of waiting, Glynda stood up and went to the metal door. She felt along it with her eyes shut. She felt confident that with enough practice, she could use her own telekinetic power to wrench the door and free her and Oobleck.

"I think this is doable," she said out loud.

"That will not be necessary my dear. Stand aside," Oobleck said.

"What?" Glynda asked, stepping out of the way anyway.

Oobleck stood against the wall on the other side of the cell and vanished. Glynda realized he hadn't actually vanished. He had just charged through the door so fast she couldn't trace him. The metal door went flying back and landing hard on the rocky ground.

Glynda stepped through the way where the door had been. "How—?"

"Oh dear," Oobleck suddenly said, pressing the back of his hand against his forehead. He fell over, out cold.

"No. No! Come on!" Glynda groaned. She knelt down beside Oobleck and started to pick him up. She grunted against the weight, her arms trembling as she raised him up and started to carry him like a sleeping child. "You've got to be kidding me," she gasped.

She looked around, trying to take in the surroundings as best she could. It was dark, with no light except the light coming from a single torch in the hallway. There was an opening through the wall on Glynda's left. It was the only option she had. She walked, listening to Oobleck snore in her arms. This was ridiculous. She was stronger than this. She didn't want to be trying to find some unknown object while carrying a professor in her arms because of a stupid mistake he made. She should've been the one to get them out.

"Come on Oobleck, wake up. I need you," she said.

Finally, after walking through the dark for what felt like an eternity, she heard voices. One of the voices didn't sound human. Keeping her feet steady to be quiet, she made her way around another corner and saw a flight of stairs going up. She started climbing, and reached near the top where she could see enough of what was there waiting for her.

She saw a tall android made of silver. His eyes were a glowing scarlet and he spoke through his mouthpiece. Despite the authoritative tone in his voice, it also sounded slightly sad.

Standing by the android were several Faunus with hoods draped over their heads.

"Are they all ready?" the silver android asked.

"The army will be completed on schedule," one of the Faunus said.

"Completed and capable?" The android pushed.

"Yes. The Master gave us all the tools we need to make that happen," the Faunus confirmed.

"Good. Because we move out tonight."

"Tonight? That's ahead of schedule," the Faunus pointed out.

"Our time is growing short. I just recently got a report from the Master. He says that we need to be ready by tonight, no exceptions," the android said.

"Fester, we're not artificial intelligence like you. We can't work as quickly as—." The Faunus was interrupted when the android Fester reached out, grabbed him, and lifted him up off his feet.

"That's why you all are useless. Human and Faunus alike, all you ever do is fight because you can't get along. How pathetic," Fester said. Glynda held her breath, trying to keep herself still. She couldn't help the Faunus. She was carrying Oobleck and she wanted to hear more. What exactly was going on? Where were they going? Who's the Master?

Mercifully, Fester dropped the Faunus and let him live. "All of you get back to work, and make sure they are all rigged to go when I give the order."

"Yes, sir," the second Faunus said, "but first, I should tell you about the young human woman standing near the top of the stairs holding an unconscious man."

Glynda cursed under her breath. She had forgotten about the Faunus' advanced eyesight. She was trapped.

Fester turned around and his eyes seemed to glow brighter. "Ah, the Huntress."

Glynda started to take a few steps back, but Fester was already walking toward her.

"Ozpin's girlfriend. And here I thought you were going to be hard to deal with."

"I am," Glynda managed to say. She shut her eyes and shook her head.

 _Don't talk, you'll only make things worse, don't talk._

Fester turned to the Faunus soldiers. "Get them ready."

The Faunus nodded and turned and bolted away, leaving Glynda and Oobleck alone with the android. Fester's mouthpiece couldn't move, so he wasn't smiling, but from the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was. "You can't win this fight Glynda Goodwitch. And neither can Ozpin. Ozpin may have managed to win one against that Faunus, but he won't win this one. We are too many for him to handle," Fester mocked.

 _Typical villain monologues_ , Glynda thought.

Oobleck's eyes popped abruptly open. He looked up at Fester. "Oh my," he said. He leaped out of Glynda's arms and bolted towards Fester. Fester came apart instantly as Oobleck flew through him, but his pieces came back together. It was a tactic to avoid getting shattered. Fester had anticipated Oobleck's move.

"I was programmed to deal with you both," Fester said calmly.

Despite the statement, Glynda reached her hand out to telekinetically shove Fester back, but he stayed where he was, with his feet glowing to indicate that he had been programmed to avoid a move like that too, keeping himself magnetized to the floor.

"Keep going. You won't succeed," Fester said.

"Ugh, you sound like Ozpin's former mentor Gray. He's annoying and so are you," Glynda remarked.

"Funny that you mention him. He has Ozpin over at Beacon Academy. He's the new Headmaster there now," Fester said.

That got Glynda's full attention. She lowered her hand and her eyes widened until it ached to widen them any further.

"What?"

"Oh I probably shouldn't have mentioned that. You weren't really supposed to know. Yet."

Glynda decided she had heard enough. Now it made sense why she hadn't been able to get ahold of Ozpin all this time. The place that Fester was talking about earlier was probably Beacon Academy. She had to stop him. She pulled out her sword and went at Fester, swinging it hard in a diagonal arc. Blue sparks exploded as the blade hit. Glynda swung again and again, trying to cut through the shield Fester had.

Fester reached out, grabbed Glynda's face, and thrust her entire body down into the ground. Rock debris was tossed up at the impact of Glynda's body. Fester raised his foot to stomp down on Glynda's stomach, but was stopped when Oobleck launched himself at him from behind with his own weapon, the thermos. Fester was tossed forward but he managed to regain his control by activating the rockets in his feet. He spread his arms out in a grand gesture.

"Come at me," he challenged.

Fester was unexpectedly and inadvertently struck by Oobleck's thermos again, sending him into the wall. He fell and landed on his feet with one hand pressed down onto the ground. He shook his head and looked up. His eyes turned from scarlet to black and he flew forward with a determined cry.

Fester took Oobleck off his feet and flew him to the wall. The part of the wall where Oobleck hit broke, raining chunks of rock onto the floor. Fester punched Oobleck across the face twice before Oobleck managed to take on his unbelievable speed to get out of the wall and bring Fester back down to the ground.

Oobleck landed and scooped back up his thermos. Glynda joined his side, twirling Beacon in her hand to get the feel for it back.

"Still think you're invincible now?" Glynda asked.

"You will not be able to break me," Fester said.

"I don't like it very much when the bad guys talk too much," Oobleck commented.

"I know, he really needs to say his best and then shut up," Glynda agreed.

Fester's eyes shifted one more to blazing scarlet. Glynda tensed and raised her sword just in time as lasers erupted from Fester's eyes and came straight for Glynda and Oobleck. Glynda absorbed the lasers with Beacon and then as soon as the barrage stopped, Glynda slipped her sword back into her sheath.

Fester leaped after Glynda and Oobleck, giving Glynda the opportunity to pull her sword right back out, and as the blade struck Fester, the laser's energy that Glynda had absorbed exploded against Fester. The android fell to pieces, this time for good.

"Well, that was a thing," Oobleck commented.

Glynda twirled her sword one last time before slipping it back into her sheath.

"We have to get out of here. We have to go back to Beacon and stop Gray," Glynda said.

"I do not believe Fester is really gone," Oobleck pointed out as he followed close behind her.

"The feeling is mutual, his mind is probably inside every robot that's being produced for the—army," Glynda said.

"What do we do?" Oobleck asked.

"I thought you were normally the one that comes up with solutions," Glynda said.

"Not entirely, this is your journey," Oobleck replied.

Glynda had come all this way to find what her mother tried looking for. Now it looked like she wasn't going to get that chance, at least not any time soon. If Ozpin and the entire academy with him was in trouble, she needed to go back and help. She and Oobleck couldn't take on the army by themselves, but she could at least go back to Beacon and warn Oz and the others of the impending danger.

"We go back and save Ozpin from Gray. I don't know why Gray has decided to do harm to Ozpin but we need to go save him before it's too late," Glynda decided aloud.

"Agreed," Oobleck replied with a smile.

As they walked out of the room, they were unaware that Fester's body was slowly reforming, the pieces of metal fusing into one once more.

After going up another flight of stairs, Oobleck and Glynda found themselves in another hallway carved out with no end in sight.

"This is getting ridiculous," Glynda snapped. They continued on, with Glynda using Aura in her hand to light the way.

"I never thought of using my Aura as a light source," Oobleck said.

Glynda couldn't help but grin. "Ozpin would give me little tips from time to time. They've never let me down."

"Evidently," Oobleck replied, gesturing to Glynda's hand. Finally there was a doorway on the right side with torch light flooding out and embracing the hallway. Glynda raised her hand to slow Oobleck down and pressed herself against the wall beside the doorway. She could hear movement in the room. She concentrated hard on the sounds. Someone was using a pickaxe, another was using a drill. She heard the footsteps of a third person and the sound of a metal detector being used.

"There are four of them," Glynda whispered.

"On it," Oobleck replied. Before Glynda could stop him, Oobleck bolted into the room. Cries of pain exploded inside and one Faunus was tossed out into the hallway, banging his head against the wall and slumping to the ground. He was holding the detector.

It was all over after several seconds. Oobleck came back out with a proud smile. "In here."

Glynda followed him into the room, which turned out to be in the form of a perfect circle. The bodies of the other three Faunus were littered around, unmoving. There was nothing special to be seen except a tower of rock in its center. Glynda half-expected to see something on top of it but there was nothing.

"Was this always here?" Glynda asked.

Oobleck joined Glynda at her side and leaned down to get a closer look at the rock. He slid his finger down across the stone, then curiously put his finger in his mouth as if to taste something.

"Yes, this was always here alright," Oobleck announced.

"You mean this was here when the Faunus and Fester set up base here," Glynda said.

"Correct. Whatever this is about, the Faunus were investigating it," Oobleck answered.

Glynda then remembered the ambush back at her old home, where the Faunus were looking for clues to the mystery item that her mother attempted to look for.

"They're here to look for the item," Glynda realized aloud.

"It would appear so, yes," Oobleck answered.

"It may be right in this very room," Glynda said.

"There's nothing to see here my dear. Besides, if it was in here, the item would be on top of this stone. That would be the ideal place," Oobleck pointed out. Glynda looked down at the ground in thought. She racked her brain for answers. She thought back to the notes her mother had written down. What was she missing?

Then an idea dawned on her. "What if it's not on top. What if it's inside?"

Oobleck frowned. "Inside? Now that's not likely, no one would have been able to pull that off unless…"

Oobleck slid his finger across the stone again and licked it. His eyes widened and a grin broke out on his face. "Genius!"

Oobleck started dancing around the tower of stone with both hands clutching his head. "Of course! Whoever hid the item had the Semblance to form rock that has the same feeling but not the same durability. It can be chopped up," he explained.

Glynda felt a child's giddiness swell up in her, forcing her hand on her sword. "Then let's get to work. Let's get this thing open."

Glynda took up her sword Beacon and swung. The top half of the tower fell off. Nothing could be seen inside the bottom half. Glynda could feel herself growing more anxious by the minute. She was so close now. She was going to get what she came here for and then save Ozpin from Gray.

Oobleck picked up the top half of the tower and looked at the bottom of it, looking closely for any clues. He shook it for good measure.

"It goes deeper. We need to chop again."

Glynda chopped off another chunk of tower and Oobleck got a look at it.

"One more time. I have a good feeling about this one."

Glynda gripped her sword tighter and took another swing. Another chunk fell and Oobleck picked it up.

"This one feels warmer," he said.

"Give it to me," Glynda said anxiously, gently taking the chunk of rock from Oobleck.

 _This is it. This is it, this is it!_

 _This is it Ozpin my love. This is what I came all the way here for._

On the bottom of the chunk of stone was a hole drilled in to look like a slot where something was inserted inside. She shook the stone until the item inside fell out and clattered on the ground.

"A riding crop," Oobleck said.

Oobleck was right. It was a thin, black riding crop with a simple black and purple design on the handle. Glynda picked it up with a trembling hand.

"Careful, those things have incredible power," Oobleck warned.

"What exactly can it do? I've never gotten to see one in action," Glynda admitted.

"It can help channel your Semblance, but it can also do a lot of other things too. For so small a thing, it can do so much," Oobleck explained.

Glynda touched the tip of the crop to her hand and her hand glowed, transmitting light into the crop and giving it a heavenly glow.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"I'm happy for you, but we should get back to Beacon to save Ozpin and warn him of the army," Oobleck said.

Glynda's attention refocused. She placed the crop in a holster she had on her boot.

"You're right. Let's go."

"Excellent!" Oobleck cried. He wrapped his arms around Glynda's waist.

"Hey, what are you do—whoa!" Glynda shrieked, being cut off when Oobleck started running at his own unrealistic, powered speed.**


	10. The Burden

**AN: Hello again! The story continues now.**

*The whip went down a third time on Cobal. Cobal's cries of pain rattled Signal's heart like the shock of an earthquake.

"Stop!" Signal yelled. Gray paused and grinned again, showing teeth.

"You want me?" she growled, every muscle taught in preparation for a fight. "You truly do? Well, you can have me!" With a grunt, she launched herself at Gray, her daggers flipping into her hands. Gray drew a long silver sword with a silver hilt from his sheath, raising it just in time to block Signal's blow. Both daggers hit the blade, vibrating with the force of impact.

 _Screw this_ , Signal thought.

She was not going to tolerate getting blocked and taunted by this man. She wasn't going to play a parrying game with him. She was going to make him hurt, even if it meant her getting hurt in the process.

Signal kicked Gray hard, sending him flying back. She slid after him as he fell through the double doors. Gray leaped back up onto his feet, parrying several jabs of Signal's daggers towards him, his wrist flicking in and out, trying to keep up with all her moves. Signal leaped and spun a kick at his head, causing him to spin in turn at the impact. When she went to stab his neck, Gray got ahold of her wrist and attempted to chop his sword downwards to cut her hand off. With the dagger still in hand, Signal dropped the second dagger from her other hand, then caught it with her empty one waiting below and swung. Gray grunted as the dagger slashed across his stomach.

Gray pulled Signal closer to him and head-butted her, then shoved her down. Summoning up her Aura, she slipped her dagger back into one of her sheaths and leaped from the ground and took Gray up with her against the wall, forcing him to drop his sword. She punched Gray several times, making sure the last one went hard enough to knock a tooth out.

She went for the gauntlet around her wrist and pressed the center button.

"Uh oh," Gray said as the gauntlet charged up.

Signal shot her fist forward into Gray's throat and the shotgun in the gauntlet went off, blowing up a hole in the wall they were on, dumping them into the other room. Gray managed to grab Signal's shoulder and hit her in the face a couple times before they hit the ground.

Gray kicked Signal off of him. Signal did a backflip in the air, landing neatly on her feet, using both of her gauntlets to propel her forward and aim another punch to Gray's chest, rocketing him back. His back struck the closed elevator in the wall. Sneering, Gray took up a throwing knife resting in a holster on his boot and tossed it at Signal. Signal used one of her daggers to bat it away, then started making her way towards him, batting away all the knives that he threw at her, which turned out to be the same knife that teleported back to his hand every time he missed.

Once Signal got up to Gray, Gray pressed a button on the handle of his knife, and the weapon transformed into a large katar and managed to strike Signal several times with it. For a brief and scary second, Signal could feel her Aura wavering, but kept steady. Good, she couldn't afford to lose her Aura's strength. Having been forced backwards and around at the last strike, Signal grinned and pulled a ring of spinning blades from her pocket and thrust it at Gray. Gray quickly knocked it away with his katar, but the blades hit the floor and came shooting back in his direction, cutting up across his side and taking a bit of his hair off.

Gray staggered for a second, winded and dazed from the unexpected comeback. The ring sank into the wall directly above the elevator and stayed there. Gray used his elbow to bash the 'up' button next to the elevator doors and swung his katar several more times at Signal. One swing grazed Signal's chin when she didn't get to raise her dagger in time to parry it. The elevator doors opened up behind Gray and he planted his foot into Signal's face to knock her back. She stumbled and fought against her feet to keep her balance. Gray backed into the elevator and repeatedly tapped the button inside to go up.

"Oh, no you don't!" Signal screamed, her voice breaking. She was almost beyond reason. Once again, she used her gauntlets to launch herself forward after Gray.

Gray shrieked when Signal got in with the doors shutting behind her. The elevator started moving up. Gray and Signal continued their deadly dance dueling each other, but slower this time so that the movement of the elevator wouldn't throw them off their feet. Gray eventually pressed a button on his katar, and the katar then changed into a shotgun.

Signal's eyes widened. A three-way weapon? She couldn't deny that Gray was clever and had good tricks up his sleeves. He aimed up at the ceiling and blasted a hole in it, then leaped up through it. Signal leaped up after him, landing on top of the elevator as it continued rising. She spun with her dagger out in an attempt to slash across Gray's legs. Gray leaped and did a flip in the air to avoid Signal's attack, then found the ground again and fired off a few rounds at her. One blast exploded near her feet, tossing her against the side of the tunnel. She fell forward, rolling out of the way as Gray attempted to stomp on her stomach. Gray changed his shotgun back into a katar and stabbed at Signal a couple times while Signal rolled out of the way every time. Signal got back up and landed a kick at Gray's torso. He flew back off his feet and landed on the hole that he had made. Signal ran up to him and stomped her foot down on him, forcing him through the hole and back into the elevator. She sprung after him and landed gracefully.

Despite the smooth landing, Signal was almost completely spent. She and Gray both stared at each other for a moment, breathing hard. They skin and clothes were soaked with sweat. The elevator stunk of sweat and blood. Gray slowly lifted his katar to keep trying at it in the fight. It wasn't over, and neither of them were going to give up.

With Gray tired, Signal seized the opportunity to grab him by the collar, thrust him forward into the doors of the elevator and deliver a kick to his back. Gray cried out, the pain of the blow crystal clear in his scream.

"Enough!" He shouted, turning around to get at Signal again. He went at her, swinging his katar. Signal ducked as the blade arced straight over her head, then straightened back up and parried several more swings with her dagger. She shut her eyes, concentrating hard on summoning up her Aura in full force. It was time to finish this.

"By my shoulder, I will protect thee," she uttered. When she opened her eyes, a blinding white light exploded across her body and she delivered one last punch. The second her fist connected with Gray's face, his body crashed against the elevator doors again and he fell to his knees.

Signal towered over the man and aimed the tip of her dagger down at him. Gray chuckled and stared up at her.

"Well kill me. If that's what you want. If that's how you think all of this will end," he said.

Signal wanted to. She wanted to kill him. But she wasn't Jasper; she wasn't an angry Faunus from the ever-decaying White Fang organization. She wasn't a murderer and she had no plans to become one any time soon. She returned her dagger to her sheath.

"Get out of this academy and take your dogs with you, or I will make you feel sorry that I let you live," she said.

Gray started laughing. It almost sounded insane. Signal shivered, feeling the bones in her back pop and shift.

"You naive fool," Gray said. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Before Signal even realized what happened, she was lifted off her feet by an invisible force and flung out of the elevator. She was completely helpless, soaring until her body hit the wall in the hallway. Pain rocked through her body and the light of her Aura slowly winked out. Her head beat and her hands shook at the impact.

"You could've been a great ally. But no, you're too soft to kill when you need to," Gray said.

Signal felt her body whip around, her palms hitting the ground with a sharp smack. She could feel her throat constrict and it was hard to breath. Tears flooded her eyes, and within moments they were flooding down her cheeks, burning across her skin.

"Please…" she whispered.

"And now you beg. Pathetic," Gray said. His annoying mocking tone had been completely replaced by pure revulsion.

Gray used his telekinetic power through the chip to lift Signal onto her feet, then forced her to punch herself over and over again.

"You're weak! You're a Faunus! No human will ever take kindly to you! You're nothing!" Gray screamed. Signal felt her fist smash against her chin, activating her shotgun gauntlet and tossing her across the hallway. She landed and skinned her back. She could feel blood running down her skin and she smacked her lips and tasted blood dribbling from her chin.

"You are suspended, Signal Belladonna. I will decide how to deal with you later," Gray announced.

Signal tried to say Onyx's name before everything went black.**

*Onyx followed Gray into Ozpin's office. Her gaze was lifted to ceiling where the cranks always turned without a break. It gave the room a continuous sound that somewhat gave the atmosphere a peaceful feeling. She finally took her gaze off the cranks and spotted Professor Ozpin chained.

"Sorry for the mess," Gray said, gesturing to Ozpin.

Onyx merely blinked but conveyed no emotion at the sight of the former Headmaster imprisoned in the room. It was unsettling, but Onyx possessed a higher respect for Gray for the fact that he was more powerful than Oz. Gray sat at his desk and folded his hands.

"The reason why I had you come up here to talk is because I believe you're the one I need. I believe you're the one worthy enough to help me," he explained.

Onyx clasped her hands behind her back and kept her stance. "H-how do you mean?"

Gray smiled. "I did some digging, and I came across some records that I found to be very interesting. I believe that you _do_ have it in you to help me perform the task I've been planning for a while now. I told you about that the other night, remember?"

Onyx did remember. Gray came up to her the night Signal and the team attempted to save Ozpin while Signal was up in the tower. Gray didn't know that Signal had gone up to try and save Ozpin, he just knew that Onyx was outside her room as usual, and Oliver couldn't hear what Gray was saying to her due to his disability. Onyx warned Oliver afterwards not to tell Signal and Mayzie that she and Gray had a talk.

"Which is…?" Onyx asked. She took note of Ozpin slowly shaking his head in dread as he witnessed the conversation.

"Onyx, I want you to help me kill Qrow," Gray replied.

Onyx's eyes widened. Qrow? The one that had abandoned her and Signal when those men attacked them? The one that had gotten angry at Signal for trying to prevent a bloody conflict? The one who doesn't really like Faunus?

"Why d-do you want to k-kill him? And h-how do you plan on d-doing that?" Onyx asked.

"Qrow is a powerful Huntsman, who can be a potential threat in my plan to keep my position as Headmaster for this school. You and me together will go to Qrow's home. It's the house on the cliff by the shores of Patch. There's only one home on Patch located in that area. We will go there right away and take him on," Gray said. He stood up from his desk and walked around to get closer to Onyx.

"This is what you want, yes? You want revenge?" He asked.

Onyx gazed up at the tall man, peering into his eyes. He was telling the truth. So this was why he had been pushing all the students at Beacon. He was trying to find a suitable partner to help him kill Qrow.

But there was a flaw in his plan.

"He abandoned you. He didn't care about you, and as a result, you spent a couple years in slavery by the humans. Don't you want to feel better by making sure Qrow is dead?" he demanded.

Onyx's eyes dropped to the floor and she nodded.

"Y-yes."

"Onyx, no," Ozpin groaned.

"Quiet, she's talking," Gray snapped. He turned to face Onyx again. "You don't need to be an expert in fighting. You have the anger in you. It's enough to make you unstoppable, and with that anger you can become a powerful force and kill Qrow with your bare hands."

"Yes. Yes, you're right," Onyx said. She looked up at Gray, and flashed a half-smile. Gray then suddenly gasped long and hard. Ozpin gasped along with him. Gray looked down at the dagger in his throat. A crimson stain was forming and growing bigger on his shirt.

Onyx slowly pulled it out, embracing Gray's shriek of pain. Onyx gave a sadistic shrug, then let the knife sink into Gray's throat again. Gray fell to his knees, staring up at Onyx with wide, pleading eyes. Onyx was smiling fully now, feeling the reality that Gray was under her own power now.

"You—you want m-me to have my revenge against the-humans. Y-you m-must've forgotten —you're a h-human too."

Onyx pulled the dagger out yet again. "And if y-you think you're so p-powerful, why not f-face Qrow yourself?"

Gray managed to turn his head so that he was looking at Ozpin. His expression pleaded him to help him. All Ozpin could do though was watch, and he looked just as horrified as Gray did.

With a sick twinkle in Onyx's eye, she leaned in closer to Gray to whisper in his ear.

"Your hopes—have b-become my burden."

She then swung her dagger and Gray's body crumpled to the ground. Slowly, he exhaled for the last time, his body going still.

"Onyx, what are you doing?" Ozpin whispered.

Onyx examined the blood on the dagger. The sight almost delighted her. "I'm going to g-go kill Qrow. I know now how to-f-find him."

Ozpin called out to her as she stepped into the elevator, but she ignored him. She spared Oz because he had been nothing but kind to her. It was Qrow that didn't deserve the same mercy. She was going to go exact her revenge, and she wanted Signal to join her.**

*Signal stiffened and her heart stopped beating for a moment when she heard the door to the mess hall open. She expected to see Gray. Instead, Onyx was standing at the door. She looked oddly triumphant, and there was something in her eye that made her look unrecognizable, something wild. What had happened?

"Onyx, what are you doing here? Gray will catch you," Signal gasped.

"W-we don't have to w-worry about him anymore. C-come with me. W-we're going to kill Qrow."**

 **AN: As a little fun fact, the 'your hopes have become my burden' is part of a quote shown at the very beginning of the Black Trailer from RWBY, the one about Blake's backstory. I hope you guys are ready for the next one, because it's going to get insane from this point on!**


	11. To the Dust You Will Return

**AN: Typically I publish chapters on Friday nights but it completely slipped my mind last night (oops!). Anyway, here's the next new chapter, with just two more after this one to wrap up the volume. Please leave feedback!**

*When Glynda and Oobleck arrived back at Beacon, they were both crushed with grief at the sight of students walking around in a daze, some even crying.

Other students were looking down at their hands, as if there was something in them they couldn't believe was there. Looking closer, Glynda could see that a lot of the tears were tears of relief. Something had definitely happened here.

Glynda found Ozpin walking around looking at everybody. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Ozpin!" Glynda shouted, running to embrace him.

Ozpin silently wrapped his arms around Glynda when she got to him, and Glynda returned the embrace.

"What happened here? I heard your old mentor Gray took over this place," she said.

"He did. Glynda, we need to go. Onyx killed Gray and now she's after Qrow," Ozpin said.

Glynda's heart iced over. "Onyx? Why would she do that?"

"It's revenge for when Qrow left her behind when she was taken by Collus's men a long time ago."

"Ozpin, we can't go. There's an army of androids heading this way right now."

"No, not here. The army is headed for the island of Patch," Oz corrected.

Glynda's shoulders slumped. This isn't right. None of it is.

"There's one more thing. I think Signal went with Onyx."

"We have to stop them," Glynda said.

"And you're going to let us come with," a female voice said. Glynda turned around to face Mayzie and Olive, the other two members of Signal's team.

"Mayzie! I forgot to buy you cookies!" Oobleck said, slapping his forehead in realization.

"Signal is our leader, and Onyx is one of our teammates. We need to be there too," Mayzie explained.

"I don't know if—," Glynda started.

Ozpin cut her off. "Yes, you can come along."**

*Ozpin found himself leading his team, Glynda, Oobleck, and Peter Port, with Mayzie and Olive trailing behind them to board a ship and take off towards Patch.

 _I hope you'll be willing to listen Onyx. Please_.**

*Signal and Onyx landed in a large, round space of pavement for guest ships to land near Qrow's mansion. It was a round mansion, with two spires protruding from it on both sides. For a moment, all the confusion and dread she felt while coming here faded away and was replaced by awe. The mansion was a beauty, draped in crimson, with the spires sporting a hue of magenta.

On the walk towards the large double doors, Onyx stopped and turned to face Signal.

"You have t-to do s-something for me."

"What's that?"

"Help me unlock my A-Aura," Onyx requested. She shut her eyes, bracing herself. Signal was bewildered by how easily Onyx trusted her. She could run away right now and take the ship. Onyx wouldn't be able to stop her; she was more powerful.

But instead, Signal found herself reaching out and pressing her hand against her friend's chest. She uttered the words that needed to be said, and she could feel her Aura beating inside her like her heart and she could feel energy begin to leak out and transfer itself into Onyx.

 _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality_

 _Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all_

 _Infinite and distanced and unbound by death, I release your soul_

 _And by my shoulder protect thee_

Onyx's body lit up, shielded now by her newfound Aura. A giddy smile spread across her face and she looked down at her hands to admire the light coursing through her arms. She reached for her weapon, the double-handed spear, and twirled it in her hand.

"It's time," she said. Signal was baffled that there was no sign of her brain damage in her voice this time.

Signal followed Onyx towards the front doors of the mansion. Her mind was screaming at her. She couldn't tell what her mind was saying, all she knew was where her body was going and where her hand was straying to.

He abandoned both of us, and it's because of him that we suffered for so long; it's because of him that we had children at all only to lose them.

With a simple wave of her hand, Onyx forced the double doors open and stepped in. Signal was taken aback by the cozy feel of the place. It certainly felt like home.

It was home to a monster.

There were two flights of stairs on both sides of the room leading up to the same walkway. Straight ahead between the flights of stairs, there was another set of double doors that were open, revealing an empty room that was meant for training.

"Qrow!" Onyx screamed.

Signal's stomach lurched at the sound, noting the wild note to Onyx's voice.

"Onyx, I don't know if anyone is actually home. I don't know if this is a good idea," she said.

Onyx raised a hand to silence her. "Quiet. He's here, I know it."

Signal almost said something else, but froze when she heard a voice.

Qrow's voice.

"Its been a long time," he said. First Signal heard the footsteps. They were coming from above. She looked up and saw him walking down the stairs towards her. Her uncertainty of Onyx's goal then flickered and died out.

Qrow was almost the way Signal remembered him, except this time his red cloak was tattered and torn. He wore a gray dress shirt and black dress pants. He had a wispy stubble on his chin, and his black hair was a mess, with long strands of it sticking out in random directions.

"You look like a mess," Signal said. She noted the glass of beer in his hand.

"I _am_ a mess. Your point?"

Signal wrapped the fingers of both hands around her daggers. "So that's it? No 'I'm sorry I left you behind and let you get taken away'?" Signal shrieked.

"That's not what I wanted and you know it," Qrow said calmly.

"Remember when you told me that I'm not part of your team and that I'm just a kid? You're still as terrible now as you were then," Signal snarled.

"More men kept coming. They were coming in droves in their trucks, so I left to go get help. I didn't want it that way," Qrow said.

"How did you think that we would be able to fend for ourselves?" Signal cried, stomping her foot to emphasize her point. She turned to Onyx. Why wasn't she contributing to the conversation?

Signal took a moment to look between Onyx and Qrow. Qrow was pathetic. He didn't even look like he was ready for a fight. She was starting to feel like it was a mistake to come here. Qrow was better off swallowed up in his own self-pity, drinking away his misery.

"Come on, Onyx, this isn't worth it. Let's go," Signal said, gesturing to the double doors.

Onyx finally spoke. "No! I'm ending this right here and now! He deserves to die!"

"Onyx, wait—" It was too late. Signal didn't exist in Onyx's world anymore. She watched her friend summon up her Semblance, except it was a different iteration of it this time. Signal remembered how Onyx used her Semblance against her in a fight, which felt like it happened years ago even though it was just a few days ago, and how she had transferred the pain and grief of others into her to weaken her and hold her down. Now, she was bringing together the pain and unleashing them in dark shadowy forms of herself.

The ghosts were armed with broken blades and they continuously screamed. Qrow managed to get his longsword out just in time as one of the ghosts collided with him, knocking him onto his back on the stairs. Qrow kept his sword up, trying to prevent the ghost from pushing the blade into his neck.

"Onyx, stop this—I'm sorry…"

" _Sorry_?" Onyx cried along with the ghosts. Their voices echoed in unison, overlaid with haunting screams, sending chills down Signal's spine.

"You decide to say sorry now when I'm threatening your life?" she shrieked. More ghosts came, and Qrow was kicked down the stairs by one of them as it slipped behind him. Qrow fell and landed on his face. Signal winced but stayed where she was, keeping herself still.

Then she heard the cries of a little child coming from upstairs.**

*Glynda rose from her seat in the back of the ship and walked up to stand beside Ozpin who was piloting the ship.

"Ozpin, I need to ask you something," she said.

"What is it, Glynda?"

"Are you hiding something from Signal?"

Ozpin stole a glance at her before redirecting his attention ahead of him. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his head.

"You looked into her hospital records, didn't you?" Glynda asked. She reached into her pocket and pulled out several folded sheets of paper.

"And not just hers. But Onyx's too."

"I believed there could've been something more if both of them were expecting on the same day," Ozpin confessed.

"Why didn't you share this with me?"

"Because I didn't want to worry you with it. We can't let Signal know."

Glynda threw the papers down on the floor, allowing them to scatter.

"Oh really? We can't let Signal know that the girl she's obsessed with finding is actually not her daughter?"

Glynda whirled around and started to walk away. Realizing now that the matter was serious, Ozpin flicked the switch to set the ship on 'auto-pilot' and got up to go after Glynda.

"Glynda, please. You have to understand that Signal has been through a lot. If she finds out, then it's only going to cause her more grief," he said.

Glynda turned to face Ozpin, tears racing down her cheeks as her eyes burned into his own.

*Signal ignored the fight as she started up the steps towards the source of the crying child. As she reached the top floor, she raced into one of the rooms. There sitting in the middle of the room surrounded by toys was a little girl who appeared to be no older than two. She had a pale white face with amber eyes and wisps of black hair. But the detail that got Signal's attention the most was the cat ears.

It was her daughter. Blake.

Signal forgot about everything. She forgot the one-on-one fight going on downstairs. She forgot about Beacon Academy and Professor Ozpin and the other professors. She forgot about Onyx and Olive and Mayzie and the other students. She forgot about all of it. Because the only thing that existed in the world at that moment was her and her daughter Blake.

She walked over to Blake and knelt down. Tears pooled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks, hot and salty. She was dangerously close to loudly weeping. Blake stared up at her with her big cat-like eyes and tilted her head, curious but but also nervous of the new arrival.

 _I found her. I found her!_

The overwhelming relief then began to shift into hate. Signal realized that Qrow had been holding onto Blake this entire time. The realization enraged her so much that several blood vessels burst.

"Qroooooooow!" she screamed, screamed loud enough to shred the skin in her throat. The sound echoed throughout the room, and the girl stared at her.

A second passed.

And then Blake began to cry.**

*"So what exactly happened?" Glynda asked, folding her arms and leaning against the wall.

Ozpin wearily sighed, stroking his chin with a trembling hand.

"Signal went to the hospital herself because Collus wouldn't call an ambulance for her. When she got there, she could barely get taken to one of the rooms before the baby began crowning."

"Oh my goodness," Glynda whispered. She could feel her whole body tensing as she listened to the story.

"The child came out dead, but Signal had passed out before she realized it. I spoke with one of the doctors at the hospital and learned that Signal's friend Auburn got there after she passed out. When he realized what happened, he devised a plan. To make it look like her child survived, the doctors took another newborn child to let Signal hold."

"Onyx's," Glynda realized aloud.

Oz grimly nodded. "Signal got to hold the child and she named her Blake before she was taken away. Onyx was going to lose her child anyway. Faunus who are slaves for humans aren't allowed to have children. They're normally taken to an orphanage."

Glynda wiped a tear from her eye. "Then I have one more question for you, Professor Ozpin."

Ozpin fidgeted and his finger played with his shirt, trying to remain calm.

"Do you know where Blake is now?" Glynda asked.

Ozpin didn't answer for what felt like an eternity, then finally nodded. "Yes, I know where she is now."**

*Signal bolted down the stairs, leaping off before reaching the bottom with both of her daggers in her hands. Qrow saw her coming out of the corner of his eye and turned to parry her deadly swing.

The impact of the longsword catapulted her down into the floor, tossing up debris.

"You have my daughter!" Signal screamed.

Qrow frowned, as if he had no idea what she was talking about, which only made the flames rise higher inside her. It was as if she was quickly coming apart, every piece of her falling off and getting lost. She was burning, burning into ashes in her fury. No, she was the flame.

Qrow cut through several more of Onyx's ghosts and continued blocking each of Signal's and Onyx's attacks as they kept coming, each blow faster than the last. Signal almost succeeded in creating a clone of herself through her Semblance, but Qrow flipped a switch on his sword. The sword instantly transformed into a long scythe and he swung it in a one-eighty. Signal flew backwards, her side cracking against the floor. She rolled, pain pinching her shoulders.

She was so tired of feeling pain. And yet she was past the point of feeling tired.

But how she was feeling at the moment didn't matter at all, because the worst was about to come. She sat up and watched Onyx twirl her spear and try to gain the upper hand on Qrow, but he was too fast. Though Onyx moved fast with her spear, Qrow's scythe was like a blur. He appeared to be able to anticipate every one of Onyx's moves and he wasn't slowing down in any way.

Finally, Onyx grew exhausted and she stumbled back, trying to catch her breath. Then, she reached up and tore the eyepatch away, revealing her animal-like eye underneath. Signal started to shake her head as she got a good look at the eye.

It looked exactly like Blake's eye.

"You left me for dead! You and every human deserve to die, and I will make sure of it!" Onyx screamed.

Then the gunfire tore through the wall and took Onyx down.

Signal couldn't hear her scream Onyx's name over the sound of her heartbeat.

She didn't care about whatever new threat had come. She ran to kneel beside Onyx. The Faunus looked up at her through blurring vision, trying to say something.

"I—I only wanted to avenge us and our people," she said.

"You're going to be alright," Signal replied, completely devoid of emotion in her voice. Anything she had once felt towards anyone was gone, wiped away by the events in the past week.

"I don't want to die. The White Fang needs me. My brothers and sisters need me," Onyx cried.

With a violently trembling hand, Onyx reached up and started pulling the part of her shirt that covered her shoulder away to reveal a tattoo of the White Fang's emblem.

The sight sent Signal's mind reeling. _Part of the White Fang, or merely an enthusiast like I was_?

Then Onyx reached up and felt along Signal's cheek, trying to run her fingers through Signal's hair.

"I don't want to die," she said one last time.

Then she released her last breath and her hand fell from Signal's. Her body started to dissolve, turning into a wispy dark mist. Her body was being swallowed up by her own Semblance and she was returning to Dust.

 _I love you, okay?_

 _I love you too._

 _I have to go okay?_

What? Where are you going?

I just need to do something very important.

Onyx's body was gone. Signal felt numb all over. Professor Oobleck came up behind her, took her around the waist, and got her out of the battle that was beginning around her.

Signal opened her mouth to scream Onyx's name, but the world turned to darkness around her just as Onyx's body had done.


	12. Leaving

**AN: Nothing really to say except here you go!**

Eight Months Ago…

*Signal held Blake in her hands, staring down at her cat-like eyes. Signal's own eyes were choked with tears, knowing that she would have to give Blake up.

I can't, her mind screamed. Don't make me do this!

"Ms. Belladonna?" One of the nurses stepped forward her face soft and kind. "I'm sorry," the nurse said simply, her red eyes pained.

"Give Blake to the nurse, okay?" Auburn prodded. He was standing by Signal's bed, keeping close to her.

Signal took one last look at Blake and slowly handed her, wrapped in her blanket, over to the nurse. Through her blurry vision, Signal couldn't tell for sure, but she thought that she could see tears in the nurse's eyes.

"Thank you. She'll be in good hands, I promise. Just rest now, and don't worry about a thing," the nurse said.

Though Signal didn't want to fall asleep, she could feel herself drifting away. Her eyes slowly closed and her arms fell to her sides.

The nurse watched Signal fall asleep, then left the room in a hurry to meet the man waiting in the hallway.

"She going to be alright?" Qrow asked.

"I hope so," the nurse replied.

"This is the least I can do for one of them. Hopefully the other girl will understand," Qrow said, taking Blake in his arms.

"Also, this way we're both even now," the nurse said, feeling her belly where her own child was growing.

"I take it I won't see you again for a long time," Qrow said.

The 'nurse' Raven, Qrow's sister, didn't answer. Removing the sword she had hidden under her long nurse's uniform, she flicked the blade in the air and a large scarlet portal opened up in the hallway, allowing her to step in and vanish. The portal vanished immediately after absorbing her, leaving Qrow with Blake.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Qrow remarked.

On the way out, a skinny man from the Schnee Dust company passed by him, accompanied by two guards. They made their way to Onyx's room. With a dismissing wave, he motioned the nurses to leave. Once the nurses were gone, the man approached Onyx in her bed. She stared up at him through her one eye.

The man reached down and grabbed the eyepatch to flip it over. Onyx grabbed the man's wrist and bit down hard on it.

"Ow!" The man hollered, pulling back and shaking his arm. The two guards behind him trained their guns on her, and terror flashed bright in her one visible eye.

"Don't," the man snapped. He brushed several invisible pieces of dust off his jacket and sighed.

"Onyx, is it?"

Onyx didn't reply, her teeth slightly bared as her lips curled back in a snarl.

"You will be happy to know that Collus Torchwick has made arrangements for you to be relieved of his ownership and handed over to work for the Schnee Dust company, effective immediately," the man continued, his words sounding flat, as if he had rehearsed the words many times.

Onyx blinked twice, but still didn't speak.

"However, what you may feel about this new turn of events doesn't matter. Once the hospital gives you leave, you will start your work with the company by taking part in the mines west of the city of Vale, where we are finding and collecting crystals to power the energy repellants that the company is currently mass-producing."

The man leaned down far enough that it was almost impossible for Onyx to look away from his eyes. "I can assure you that you will receive benefits from this. It'll be a better life than what Torchwick had for you."

Several minutes later, Onyx left with the man. A guest with small, bear-like ears entered Signal's room.

Signal was asleep, Auburn still by her side.

"Who are you?" Auburn demanded.

"How is she?" the guest asked.

"Wasn't the response I was wanted," Auburn said, crossing his arms as he frowned.

"She knows me. Just let me talk to her, okay?" the Faunus guest insisted.

Auburn shook Signal awake, albeit gently. "You know this guy?"

Signal blinked several times, waiting for her vision to fully clear. As she focused, she realized exactly who it was and snarled, ripping the blankets off her legs.

"Get. Out," she growled.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold it. You just gave birth, you can't move yet," Auburn said, clutching Signal's shoulders in an attempt to make her lie back down.

Signal refused to move, shaking of his hands as she continued to glare at the stranger. "What are you doing here, Jasper?"

"I can't come to see how you're doing, Si—"

"It's the Lioness," she snarled. "That's what you're supposed to call me now."

"What happened? Am I - correct - in saying you had a child?" Jasper asked.

"She's gone now, okay?" Signal spat, fury igniting behind her eyes even as tears began to sting them. She pressed her face to her drawn-up knees, trying to quell the sobs that threatened to rip from her throat.

"Now is not the right time to come here," Auburn said, standing. "Please leave immediately."

Anger flared in Jasper's eyes. "It's not your call," he said harshly. "Who do you think you are?"

"A friend of Signal's, and someone who knows a thing or two about what's right for her," Auburn said evenly. "What's right for her now is that you leave." He pointed at the door.

Jasper clenched his fists until the knuckles went white. Slowly, he forced himself to loosen his grip on his palm, deciding to not pick a fight.

"I hope you feel better," he said to Signal, and then walked away.**

Six Months Ago…

*Onyx stood at attention along with the rest of Jasper's followers as they waited for Jasper to enter the room after his surgery for new prosthetic legs.

Jasper came in, his silver prosthetic legs sending chills as sharp as needles down Onyx's spine. The crowd clapped in response to his arrival, voicing their support for him. Onyx was there during the Faunus attack on Vale, having been saved from the mines thanks to Jasper's leadership.

While working for the Schnee family, the best thing they had done for her was teach her sign language to help her communicate because of the damage done to her brain.

During the attack, Onyx realized that it got easier after every kill, and, with a knife, she was able to relish it. All she had to do was imagine that every person she killed was Qrow.

Jasper gave his followers a speech, assuring them that he was alright and could still fight and still lead, and that he has a plan to secure their grip on the human race.

When he was done, Onyx followed him into the same operation room he was in.

"E-excuse me—sir?" she asked.

Jasper turned to face her. One of the Faunus guards accompanying him stepped in between them.

"Hey, beat it kid. Jasper doesn't have time for—"

"No, let her be. What is it?" Jasper asked.

"If—if I'm going t-to be a part of this—I ask that I g-get to do one th-thing," Onyx said, fighting to enunciate clearly.

"And what's that?"

"I want th-the opportunity to k-kill a human named Qrow."

Jasper eyed Onyx sharply, analyzing her. She raised her chin and narrowed her eyes.

"I can see that your anger for the human race runs deep. That's good. And this Qrow person, I've heard of him."

"He abandoned m-me and my b-best friend, Signal."

Jasper started at the mention of Signal's name. Does he know her? she wondered.

"You knew Signal?"

"Yes."

"I did too," Jasper said, his voice slightly softer.

"I loved her."

"My goal is to take care of something personal first, but once that's done, I can assure you that you will have your opportunity to kill Qrow," Jasper said after a moment of silence.

"Th-thank you, sir," Onyx replied, bowing slightly.

Jasper hesitated, then said, "However, please keep in mind that, should I die before then, you'll have to find a way to get to him yourself."

"I—understand," Onyx said, and grinned.

"Good. Now, one more thing. Do you believe you are truly loyal to the new White Fang?" Jasper asked.

Onyx knew she was, and yet was not. Jasper was promising her an opportunity to have revenge against the man who threatened her and Signal, then left them behind to get taken. She would do anything for Jasper in order to reach her own goal.

"Yes. My life is yours," she said.

Jasper smiled, showing crooked teeth. He gestured to the Faunus guard standing next to him. "Give this girl a mark wherever she wants it as a sign of her loyalty. Taurus, you will come with me. I have another important surgery."**

*Two weeks later, Onyx heard about Jasper's death at the hands of a Huntsman. She was standing amidst a group of Jasper's followers watching the news segment about the death of Jasper.

One of Jasper's disciples watching the news leaped up from his seat, shaking his fist at the screen.

"Damn them! Damn them all!" he shrieked wildly, his voice cracking slightly.

The woman on the screen continued, her voice emotionless.

"The cause of Jasper's death is even more intriguing. Using a machine created by Collus Torchwick, Jasper's Aura was transferred into the body of one of James Ironwood's robots. Scientists from Atlas say that this is impossible and further investigation will be made to study this procedure…"

"It's all a lot of crap," the female Faunus standing next to Onyx said.

Any hope Onyx had of tracking down Qrow was withering away fast, and she didn't know what to do.

On-screen, the woman droned on.

"... we've just received a report from Ironwood himself that his robot, known as Project Penny, exploded as a result of the Aura and the robot's wiring interfering with each other. Will the Aura be recoverable? We'll be sure to give more information as it comes in."

The next news segment piqued Onyx's interest.

"Other news includes, local Huntsman Ozpin announcing that his own school for Huntsmen and Huntresses—Beacon Academy—will be opening up for its first semester in four months -"

The video screen changed to show Ozpin standing in front of the temple that would become the academy.

"It has long been a dream to help revive and restore the tradition of Huntsmen and Huntresses to ensure a safer world from the creatures of Grimm," he said. "Students from all walks of life are welcome, and I can prove that through the words of a Faunus herself."

Someone walked into the view to stand next to Ozpin. Onyx's jaw dropped as she recognized the student.

 _Signal_.

"It's an honor to be the first student at Beacon…"

Onyx couldn't stand. She stumbled backwards to sit on the seat behind her.

So Ozpin and Signal are starting a new school. If Onyx could enroll in the school herself, she could find out where Qrow is. Ozpin would know where he is. All that was needed was a slip of the tongue.

But it meant leaving Jasper's division of the White Fang behind. It had to be done, though. This was personal, and Onyx believed that she could get the job done herself. Unless—

Unless she could get Signal to join her. It shouldn't be hard, Qrow had betrayed both of them. Signal would want the same thing that Onyx wanted.

Hang on Signal, I'm coming back.**

Present Day…

*Signal's eyes burst open. She could hear gunfire, swords, screams, and tearing metal.

Where was she?

A closet. Someone put her in the closet.

Oobleck, she remembered.

 _Onyx fading away in front of her eyes_ …

Signal's eyes welled up and she stood, the world spinning around her as she tried to clear the dizziness from her head. Placing her palm hard against the door, she pushed it open and stumbled into the frenzy. Silver androids, everywhere - attacking Ozpin and his team (which now included Qrow,) along with Olive and Mayzie.

That's a sight you don't see every day. Maybe this is all just some crazy, messed-up dream. I'll wake up back at Beacon Academy, probably outside in the courtyard because I sleep-walked again.

Signal started making her way towards the front doors of Qrow's mansion. She had to get out, and Ozpin couldn't spot her. She didn't want him to know that she's leaving, and leaving for good. She's not going back to Beacon.

Blake.

No, going back for Blake would mean having to fight through the robots. You're weak, you can't fight. They'll see you and hold you back.

But what if they found Blake? What if Ozpin and his companions failed?

 _She's my daughter._

Signal fought her way upstairs back into the room,finding Blake in almost exactly the same spot.

There she is.

"You're coming with me," Signal said, picking Blake up and carrying her along. With a violent push, she flung one of the windows in the room open, welcoming the blowing wind from outside.

"Goodbye," Signal said. She shut her eyes, feeling the breeze and gathering up what little strength she had left. She lept from the window, stumbling slightly as she landed on her feet. The ground was hard, the impact jolting its way up her spine and making her entire lower body throb.

Blake started crying in Signal's grasp.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," Signal whispered, her voice raspy. Without looking back, she ran for the ship that she and Onyx came in, got in, and fired up the engines to leave.

She allowed herself one last look behind as she took off. The mansion had large broken chunks of stone scattered on the ground before the front doors and the roof looked like it was about to cave in on itself.

I'm done.

And then a tiny piece of her mind opened, unfolding like the petals of a flower.

I know what I'm meant to do now.

Signal left, knowing exactly where to go.**

*Fester was tossed through the wall. He dug his metal fingers into the ground, slowing himself down and stopping.

Ozpin and Glynda stepped out through the hole, heading straight towards Fester.

Whatever ill feelings Fester had towards Ozpin meant almost nothing to him anymore. Qrow had told him that Onyx was dead because of him.

"Your army is spent Fester, and your master is dead," Oz said.

"You're naive, Ozpin. I love listening to you—"

"Enough!" Ozpin snapped. He had indeed heard enough.

Fester got back up onto his feet and launched himself at Oz and Glynda, wrapping his fingers into a fist to deliver a deadly strike.

Ozpin leaped back, twirling his two-bladed staff and swinging it across Fester's chest, but it only dazed him for a second.

Fester fired a repulser shot from his wrist, which Ozpin easily batted away and struck the staff down on Fester's head, forcing him to his knees. He tossed the staff over to Glynda, who took it and stuck it up through Fester's neck, raising him up off his feet.

Fester grabbed the staff with both hands and unleashed a lethal heat through the staff, forcing Glynda to drop it.

Ozpin picked it up and was about to advance when Glynda raised a hand.

"Wait," she said. Ozpin watched as she pulled something out from her back pocket.

It was a riding crop. There were only a few left in Remnant, but somehow, Glynda was able to find one of them.

"I've been anxious to use this," she said with a smile. She directed the crop at a pile of rubble as a result of the battle that tore Qrow's home apart, then summoned all of it at Fester. With a metallic scream, Fester was bombarded with the debris and buried underneath it. Ozpin and Glynda waited for a minute.

"There's always a catch," Oz said.

Glynda didn't say anything, but instead kept her attention on the rubble. Finally, Fester's fist shot up through the rubble and he started to make his way through it. He aimed his arm at Oz and Glynda, ready to fire another repulser shot, this time stronger than the last.

Suddenly, much to Fester's surprise just as well as Ozpin's, his arm exploded, leaving a mess of charred wires dangling from the stump.

Oz looked to see that Glynda had the crop aimed at Fester. Fester tried to move but couldn't, he was stuck in the position he was in. He couldn't even speak. With one swift motion with the crop, Fester blew apart, metal chunks scattering everywhere. For a minute Ozpin thought that it was over, then he started to see the metal chunks start to drag themselves over to each other to put themselves back together.

With a growl, Glynda sprinted over and started stomping on the pieces, making sure they were ground into hopelessly tiny bits. For a while, Ozpin watched Glynda kick metal, throw it further away with her crop, and even pick up Fester's head and rip it apart with her own bare hands, spilling its insides all over the place.

"Gee, she is as crazy as you say she is," Qrow commented next to Oz.

"I told you," Ozpin replied.

When it was done, Ozpin turned around to see Port, Oobleck, Olive, and Mayzie standing by watching him.

 _So what now?_

"Where's Signal?" Ozpin asked.

"I checked the closet where I left her, but she was gone," Oobleck said.

"What about the girl upstairs? Is she still there? There's a young girl in one of the rooms," Qrow said.

"On it!" Oobleck zipped back into the mansion to check. As he halted by their sides once again, his face did not seem quite as cheerful as before. "There is no girl in any of the rooms," he said. "Who was she?"

"Onyx's daughter," Glynda said as she walked by Ozpin before Qrow could reply. She shot Oz and Qrow a look.

"Sorry, I just wanted to beat you to your lie," she said.

Ozpin felt his insides sink. He didn't know how he was going to be able to explain himself out of this. There wasn't a single hint of affection in Glynda's eyes like there normally was when she looked at him. She kept walking, moving around the others to get back inside.

"I think you're in trouble," Qrow said.

Ozpin went after Glynda without replying. A sweat had broken out on his face, and his hands were trembling. He found her in the training room with her arms folded and her head down.

"Glynda?" he asked. He looked down to see that Glynda was looking at the riding crop, which she held in both hands.

"Is that what your mother was looking for?" he asked.

"Yes. Fester and Gray were apparently looking for it too," she replied without looking at him.

"Glynda, I'm sorry. I really am," Ozpin said.

Glynda shook her head. "Not only did you hide it from Signal, but you kept the truth from me too. You could've told me. If you had told me, I could've understood a little bit, but no. You didn't tell me either."

Oz reached out to touch Glynda's shoulder, but she wrenched it away from him.

"No, don't."

Ozpin didn't know what to say. He felt helpless, not knowing what to say or do. His tongue was seemingly tied, every word he almost spoke falling to ashes.

After a few minutes, Glynda sighed.

"I'm leaving Beacon," she said flatly.

What?

"What?"

Glynda turned to face Oz and lowered the crop to her side. "I resign from my position as assistant Headmaster."

"Glynda, you don't have to do that."

"Yes. I. Do. And you can't stop me."

It was true. Ozpin couldn't stop her.

"So this is—" He stopped, faltering slightly.

"This is goodbye. I need time on my own, and I don't know if I'm coming back," Glynda said. She was perfectly calm, her face emotionless. She did not touch him, barely even acknowledged his presence as she walked away.

Ozpin stood in silence, not bothering to wipe away the tears streaming down his face.

Glynda was gone.**


	13. Successor

"After the destruction of his mansion, Qrow Branwen has announced a temporary step down from his position as Headmaster at Signal Academy…

" _A growing statistic of parents in Vale and in the surrounding kingdoms are concerned about allowing their children to transfer to Beacon after the tragic events that occurred there recently_ …

" _The question a lot of people are asking now is: is Ozpin really capable of carrying an academy on his shoulders and capable of protecting the students that attend it_?…"

Qrow switched the channel on the video screen to a sitcom.

"That's better. There was too much noise," he said.

Ozpin was sitting at his desk in his office with Qrow standing beside him. He was silent. He used to find it so easy to talk, in fact, he loved doing it. Now, he was at a utter loss for words.

"So what are you gonna do about all this?" Qrow asked, removing the canteen full of liquor from his breast pocket.

"Why did you step down from Signal Academy?" Ozpin asked.

"I saw you needed my help, so I came to do it. Summer and Taiyang are on their way, too. We're going to stay here for a little while and study."

"You don't need to study," Ozpin said flatly. "You're a grown Huntsman, and that goes for Summer and Taiyang too."

Qrow waved an arm dismissively. "Eh, we can never run out of things to learn, and after want happened with Onyx, I don't think I'm ready to be trusted as a Headmaster yet. Plus, my home is in shambles."

Ozpin thought this over for a moment with his hands folded. "A team, you say?"

"Yeah. We settled on Team Stark, S-T-R-Q."

"That doesn't say Stark," Ozpin said, his voice acidic.

Qrow dismissed his tone with a shrug. "It's the best I've got."

"But Raven is gone. You don't know where she is or if she'll be coming back."

"The 'R' is there for her memory. I don't know why she left, but I'm not going to jump to conclusions and think it was out of selfishness. Whatever reason she had, it may have been a good one."

"But she left Taiyang and her daughter."

"That's the part I don't get, but it's not like I can just find out right now. Taiyang is trying to do the best he can," Qrow replied.

Ozpin stood up, sighing quietly. "Very well. Team Stark it is."

He turned to look out the glass window behind him and looked down. Heading towards a ship that was waiting for them to take them home was Mayzie and Olive. The two of them had become so close during the short time they had together they were almost inseparable. Because of the incident with Gray, the council was transferring some of Ozpin's students to other schools. Originally, the council was going to send Mayzie and Olive to different schools, but thanks to their stubbornness (and Oobleck backing them up), they were going to get to go to the school in Atlas together.

Olive was torn up when he found out that Onyx was dead. She had after all been an interpreter for him, but Mayzie was willing to take Onyx's place for him, and they had something more than what Olive and Onyx ever had together.

"What about Signal Belladonna?" Qrow asked behind Oz.

"If I know her, she will show up again. But I can't go out and track her down. She's not a threat, so I will let her be." He paused, then added, "For now."

"Got it," Qrow said. He made his way to the elevator to leave and stopped for a second.

"Hey, Oz."

"Hmm?"

"Don't beat yourself up over Glynda. She made her choice."

"But I pushed her in that direction," Ozpin said. "It's my fault." Tears stung at the corners of his eyes.

Qrow left without saying another word, leaving Ozpin to sit at his desk and put his face in his hands. He was grieved, weary, and torn apart from the events of the last few days. It wasn't so long ago that everything was almost perfect. He had a school, students that trusted him, and his best friend at his side to help him. Now all of it was gone.

Ozpin wept in the light of the evening sun streaming through the window.

*Down the alleyway, Signal led Blake towards a door at the end guarded by two Faunus fitted in white armor and a black hood over their heads. They eyed Signal curiously as she approached them.

"State your business," one of them growled.

"I've come to speak with your commander," Signal replied.

"For what reason?"

"A reason that only your commander is entitled to hear."

"And how do you think that will be enough to convince us?" the second Faunus sneered.

Signal narrowed her eyes for a moment, then scooped moved Blake to her shoulders. She activated her Semblance, and ten clones of her popped up at her side. Armed with broken daggers, they filled the entire alley-way.

"Because you wouldn't be able to get through all of us," she said coldly. Her words were echoed in eery unison by the clones, the words echoing slightly through the air long after she had fallen silent.

The two Faunus guards wordlessly stepped out of Signal's way and motioned to the door. Signal smiled and let herself in, leaving the two guards alone with the clones.

"Um, you gonna let these go away?" one of them called. There was a touch of fear in his voice, and she almost smiled again. Not deigning the question important, she left it unanswered - and did absolutely nothing about her clones.

The place inside was dark save for a single lightbulb in the center of the room. About a dozen Faunus were standing around a table under the lightbulb where there was a large map of Vale and the island of Patch spread out. One of the Faunus in particular wore black with a shirt that had a red rose on it.

"Who are you?" he demanded when he spotted her. The other Faunus around him tensed and their hands started straying towards their weapons.

"I am a friend," Signal said. She set Blake down, turned, and tugged her shirt down from the top a bit to reveal the tattoo of the White Fang on her bare back.

"That means almost nothing to us. We're not the White Fang that you think we are," the lead Faunus said.

"Taurus, with all due respect, she's wasting our time," one of the Faunus said.

Taurus took a threatening step towards Signal. "We're a pocket of the White Fang that split ourselves off from the main group. We're radicals if you will; we want the human race destroyed and equality among our kind restored."

"You used to serve the Faunus rebel Jasper," Signal said calmly, her words not quite a question.

"Yes. Now he is dead, and his killer is still out there," Taurus replied.

Signal cocked her head, eyes narrowed to slits as she considered him. "I came because I want to form my own team in your group of—radicals. I want to be a leader."

The majority of the Faunus in the room burst into laughter, a few clutching their stomachs as they gasped for breath.

Signal's eyes hardened, though no other sign of annoyance was allowed to enter her expression. "I know who Jasper was," she said coldly, and the laughter began to die. "He wasn't born with a Semblance. His father broke the news to him, so he had a chip injected into him for artificial powers when he formed the rebellion."

"How do you know all of this?" Taurus demanded.

 _This is it. Your key to your new life, and there's no deception to get into this one. It's the truth that will sway them._

She paused, waiting until she had everyone's full attention. Slowly, she opened her mouth to speak. "Because I am Jasper's sister."

The words fell like glass from her lips, shattering upon impact as the Faunus gaped at her in disbelief. Silence plagued the room as they stared at her.

She allowed herself a dangerous grin, knowing full-well that she had everyone's attention now.

 _Good_.

Her smile turned sly, twisting her mouth upwards at the corners and showing teeth. She folded her arms, pleased.

 _Yes. Things are looking up now._

 **AN: Well, that's it for** ** _Team Ozpin: Volume Two_** **! Don't worry, there will be a third volume. The "pre-production" process on it has already begun with the storyline and the ending mapped out so you'll get to know what happens to Signal...**

 **Volume Two was a very fun but also very exhausting volume to write that took at least five to six months to finish. Some things ended up on the cutting room floor due to getting a good storytelling structure going but hopefully some of that stuff can get integrated into Volume Three and it's amazing stuff. Also, next week, the first chapter of a new story that serves as a sequel for my Middle-Earth fanfic series** ** _The Silvan Elf_** **will be posted. It's called** ** _The Silvan Elf: Something Of Mine_** **. Check it out!**

 **Acknowledgements**

 **I'd like to dedicate this volume to Monty Oum, the creator of RWBY, who passed away on February 1, 2015. Without his genius and creation,** ** _Team Ozpin_** **wouldn't have been possible. Rest in peace, Monty.**

 **I would also like to thank a fellow fanfic writer known as Elfin Maid on . She was my grammar/sentence structure editor for this volume and she made this volume feel so much deeper thanks to her contributions. She's an amazing, talented writer and I highly recommend you check her out!**

 **I'd like to thank the small group of people that have been reading this volume and leaving feedback. I have a very small following, but hearing their thoughts and having Elfin Maid's support has been all I've needed to keep going.**

 **I'd like to thank Rooster Teeth for the existence of RWBY, and their dedication to continuing to create the show. The finale of RWBY Volume 3 will be available for sponsors on their website tomorrow morning! (Ironic that this volume of** ** _Team Ozpin_** **is having its finale on the same weekend as RWBY.)**

 **To conclude, I will be posting an Author's Note to let you guys know when the first chapter of** ** _Team Ozpin Volume Three_** **:** ** _Dusk_** **is up. It'll be a little while before I get there, so be patient and I hope you guys like it!**


	14. Announcing Series Three

**Hey everyone! I have an announcement-the first chapter of Team Ozpin Volume Three has been uploaded! Go to my author page and you'll find it under** ** _Team Ozpin Series Three: Dusk_** **. This one is the final volume in the series (unless I change my mind later) and its been mapped out to be the most intense volume yet that will wrap up Signal Belladonna's story arc. So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!**


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